“Dunes, e with me back to the Iyr,” Adam said, looking to the Asriest. “You should e ahem on their first birthday.”

  “Adam, I…” Dunes almost tilted his head. He stared at Adam, long and hard. He wao refuse. The first time Dunes had met the little Goblin babies, he had threateo kill them. It was the first time Adam had ever threatened him, not as a joke, but with every io beat him down. Now he ending a thousand gold each month in order to get him to visit them on their first birthday. ‘…’

  “I’ll put up the gold for them to seartil Daasses,” Adam said. “Then we’ll head back to West Fort and end the entire year searg for your friend. I’ll help, and whoever else wants to help will help too.”

  Dunes sighed. He reached up to rub his eyes. “Adam. Seriously…”

  Adam smiled ily towards the Asriest.

  Rick sighed too, leaning back as he gave up. The other farmers exged looks with one aoo. Remy and Jeremy decided just to aal, deg to ignore everything they had heard in order to be able to sleep well that evening. Lady Sara and Korin exged looks between one aoo, though they weren’t certain what they should think.

  Jonn sipped his wine slowly, p some for Fred, the young Aldishman raising his cup to the Half Elf in thanks, the pair just enjoying their drinks calmly while the others did their best to uand Adam. They had long decided against trying to uand what Adam was.

  Ohe group was doh eating, they returned back to the guild, in order to put some space between themselves and the inn.

  Nirot stared up at the ceiling above her in her room. When she had first met Adam, she had believed him to be an idiot, a chartan. When he had beaten her, he had earned her respect for being a det fighter, but she didn’t truly believe any of his words. However, as the years passed, she realised what Adam was.

  Naqokan stared at the ceiling in her own room, w how she could mao win the Half Elf’s heart. She was his Cousin, which seemed to put some distaween them in that particur way. ‘No. Is it because I am an Iyrman?’

  Korin stared at the ceiling too, his thoughts remaining on Adam. A thousand gold a month? A thousand gold was more than a decade’s worth of work for poorest of their nd. The average wage was roughly ten to fifteen gold, and much of that went to taxes. Adam could spend a hundred people’s sary every year to find their friend, Amira? All because of Dunes?

  Jaygak sipped her wine slowly, leaned up against Kitool. “I ’t believe it. How he be this stupid?”

  “Adam is Adam,” Kitool replied.

  Jaygak sniffled. “How he do this to us? He’s bullying us too much.”

  “He enjoys bullying you.”

  “How he enjoy bullying Dunes more? I thought he was my friend like that! Aren’t I his friend, Kitool?”

  “You are.”

  “Am I?” Jaygak asked. “That idiot, he’ll spend thousands of gold on us, and he’ll even spend more thahousand for Dunes. Dunes! He’s not even an Iyrman!”

  “Dunes is his friend.”

  “He’s no Iyrman. The Iyr, we’ve already done so much for Adam. Still, he’ll spend all that money on Dunes?”

  “Adam will do more for the Iyr,” Kitool assured. “He has already done so much. What of Churot? Did Adam not also help our Cousin?”

  “…” Kitool remained silent for a long while. “Kitool. Am I really his friend?”

  “Do you think you are?”

  Jaygak remained silent for a long while, thinking about all that she had done for Adam. Adam, who had done so much for her, but what had she done? She had struck him once when he had said something terrible, not crazy, but terrible. Still, that was all she had mao do for him.

  “I’m a terrible friend, Kit.”

  Kitool rubbed Jaygak’s back. “I do not think so.”

  ‘Is it really weird to spehousand gold?’ Adam thought. ‘It’s only about a million quid or something, right? Plus, I have fifteen thousand, so even if it’s for aire year, ’t I make the money once I return back to the Iyr? I could spend a bunch of time making magical ons, and ohe Duchess pces an order, I probably increase the amount of time by a year…’

  Jurot crossed his arms, thinking about how far Adam was willing to go for Dunes. Was it really just to get Dunes ied to him? It didn’t really seem like it was because of that.

  ‘Adam is Adam.’

  Omen: 1, 18

  “M Bill,” the middle aged woman at the guild’s food ter said to the young Aldishman. “Had a nice m?”

  “’t pin,” the thin middled aged farmer replied, watg as the guild workers passed him for his cart of wheat. “Took a swim in the m. Sea was a bit cold, but woke me up right. I let Kara know t some kippers a little ter.”

  “Always so kind of you.”

  “Though I should mention, I’ve been hearing rumours about the sves in the mihey say the sves might have a ce of early freedom if they manage a certain quota, or if they choose to join the army. Heard it doesn’t matter if you’re Aldish or Aswadian. Apparently, it’s being offered to the Hord Devilkin too.”

  “Oh?” The woman replied. “Must be because of the King’s army?”

  “If I had to take a guess, that’d be it.”

  “Thanks for the info, we’ll add that tister,” the guild worker said.

  “Of course.” Bill bowed his head a.

  ‘Devilkin?’ Duhought. ‘There’s no way that Amira would be a sve, not unless…’ Dunes raised his brows, realising that it was the most obvious pce to look. ‘Of course! The mines!’

  “The mines?” Adam said after breakfast. “I suppose that makes sense?” Adam wasn’t sure about the svery issue in the nd. He hadn’t seen any from what he had seen of the nd, but he supposed if they worked out of sight, it made sense. “Hmmm. I think you should take Sir Vonda with you, just in case. I should head to the bank to ready the gold.”

  “I’ll ready the gold,” Jaygak said. “I received ara thousand and a half gold from an idiot that I don’t need, so I’ll do that.”

  “Being an idiot is my thing, Jaygak,” Adam replied. “No, I guess it’s your thing too?”

  Jaygak sighed, but let it go as a small smirk appeared on her lips. “It’s not like it was really my money anyway.”

  “It was given to you so it’s your money.”

  “Then I’ll spend my money however I want.”

  “…” Adam watched as the Devilki, taking Kitool with her. “You know, maybe I should beat her up. If she takes being an idiot away from me, then what do I have? Other than my adorable children, my dashing good looks, my wonderful heart, and being the most humble of the group?”

  Jurot almost let slip a smirk at the joke, but was acutely aware of the eyes on him. The group made their way out, and Jurot could spot a young man adorned in dark robes, his hood hiding much of his fabsp;

  As they turned onto a main road, a pair of workers, carrying rge sacks of wheat, walked across from them.

  “You hear about the Devilkin in the mihey say she’s a worshipper of Lady Arya. you imagihat? A Devilkin worshipping Lady Arya? you’ll tell me the sun is going to fall down from the sky.”

  Dunes blinked, his eyes snapping to Adam suspiciously, before seeing Adam’s shocked face, his eyes meeting Dunes iurn. Dunes swiftly marched over towards the workers, who could see an angry Aswadian marg up to them.

  “Excuse me!” Dunes almost shouted towards them. “You were talking about a Devilkin who worshipped Lady Arya.” Dunes poio his amulet, revealing the symbol of the Goddess, which caused the workers to rex slightly. “ you please tell me more about what you know?”

  “I heard there was a Devilkin in the mines who said she was a worshipper of Lady Arya,” one worker said. “Heard she was from an order or something?”

  “Where did you hear this?”

  “I just heard it about,” the man replied, shrugging his shoulders. “I heard about it before, about some Devilkin in the mines. I heard this m it was someone orshipping the good Lady.”

  “Thank you so much for the information,” Dunes said, scrambling for his pouch, before handing the pair a gold each. “May Lady Arya bless you.”

  “Oh, well kind of you,” the workers replied, bowing their heads.

  Dunes met Adam’s eyes, who was staring into the sky, all the while thinking about how unlucky the day would be.

  ‘Am I going to die today?’

  There's no way... right?