The days the group spent i Port passed by ufully, somehow. Adam had spent most of his time within the inn, with the Marshal keeping an eye on him, though eventually going about to do his rounds, promising to return on the first.

  Adam also found himself in some trouble, having deyed in gaining his stamps from the Guild.

  ‘I probably shouldn’t annoy them either…’

  Omen: 10, 15

  The children stared at the ship that Jurot had chartered for them, while Adam stared at the pouch Jurot handed over to the ship, which was going to take them all to South Port.

  ‘Kids really are expensive…’

  Adam had little pints, especially sidering how little trouble they had with the wolves, which were allowed on with the Iyrmen’s guarantee.

  The children stared out across the o, with many of their elder siblings, and the members of the business keeping an eye on them. Some of the children were far too eager to stand at the railings, while other, less ambitious childreled themselves within the lower decks.

  Adam stared at Max, who somehow wasn't spilling out his guts as the ship sailed. 'Does he just not like nd travel then?'

  "You think we'll see a water dragon?"

  "'t see water dragons, they're rare."

  "Yeah, but maybe we see a water hydra?"

  "What about a dragon turtle?"

  "No such thing's a dragon turtle."

  "Yeah, it's like saying dragonlion."

  "There's dragonlions in Aswadia."

  "No there ain't."

  "Yes there is."

  Adam stared at the horizon across the seemingly endless o. He watched the waves in the distahe way they gently pushed bad forth, even noting the fish which leapt up and around the surface of the water.

  "It's so big," Alex said, standing beside Adam, the shadow know as Nobby looming nearby.

  "Yeah."

  "I've always seen it iy, but I've not seen it on a ship before. Is it even bigger?"

  "Massive," Adam said. "Most of the world is water, I think."

  "There's a lotta nd."

  "There's a lot of water."

  Alex stared across the o. "They say that the water's dangerous."

  "It is."

  "Why?"

  "It's water," Adam replied. "Well, everything is dangerous iremes. A lot of something is always dangerous, even gold."

  "How's that dangerous?"

  "If you have the most gold, someone will want to take it from you."

  "Oh. What about... the air?"

  "Yeah. Too much air and you get light headed, and worse."

  "What about... food?"

  "You'll grow fat and it'll hurt your body."

  "What about... love?"

  "You'll bee unhinged aroy the world."

  Alex looked up towards Adam, who was staring at the o. "Why would someoroy the world?"

  "Some people don't need a reason to destroy the world, but some people have their own reasons, whether they're valid or not, that doesn't matter to someone who wants to destroy the world."

  "No one destroy the world, the Divine will stop it."

  "Yeah," Adam replied, smiling slightly. "While we're on the ship, the food might be quite as nice, but it'll be only for a little while."

  "Okay..."

  Adam reached over and brushed his hair. "Don't worry, once we're at the business, we'll make sure you have lots of delicious food. I'll make a budget for the food and I'll make sure it's a lot of gold."

  "Is there going to be fish at the business?"

  "Probably?"

  "I love me some fish. Sometimes Cobra'd bring bae bass, and we'd grill it on the fire. Sometimes we could get some salt too, and some pepper too, but that's all so expensive."

  "I'm not sure about bass, I think river fish are different, but I'll try to get some spices for us."

  "Mister Korin's spices are real nice, except the red ohat ooo spicy, burns my mouth."

  "I'll be sure to keep that spice separate."

  Alex stared out towards the water. "Are there really dragon turtles?"

  "I think so."

  "I heard some monsters ain't real."

  "Which monsters?"

  "Lions."

  "Lions are real," Adam replied.

  "Really?"

  "Yeah."

  "They say they're like tigers."

  "Kind of, yes."

  "Wow. Do they really have big beards?"

  "Manes, yes."

  "Yeah, mahat's what it's called." Alex nodded. "What about... what about goblins? They say they're like small horcs."

  "Goblins are real too," Adam assured. "Perhaps we'll get to meet some."

  "I don't want to meet no goblins, they eat children."

  "I thought you didn't think they were real."

  "Gilbert says goblins are real and they eat children so we got to go to bed on time so they don't e get us."

  "I'm not sure about eating children, but the goblins I met do..." Adam recalled how the twins had bitten other kids, though that was when they were really young. "No, no, they do children."

  "What about whales? Are they real? I hear they're really big fish."

  "Teically they're not fish, they're mammals that live in the o."

  "They're mamuls?"

  "You'll learn about it iure, don't worry."

  "What about..."

  Adam tio listen to Alex's questions, until Cobra finally grabbed him, apologising for the child's questions. Alex brought back muews to the children, about how lions and goblins and whales were real, much to their iion.

  The jourowards South Port passed by ufully, the group making their ast High Cliff and Bark Port, before arriving at the capital city of the newly formed Floria.

  "It's like East Port but different," Alex said, gng around. "Not a lot of colour..."

  Adam spied the various banners which fell across the walls of the city. 'I suppose they're rather prideful in Floria, though I suppose I 't bme them. Who else has beaten back Aldnd?'

  The attention the group received with the Hope and Rays esc them brought too many eyes to the group. 'Let's Hope they're more reverent and afraid of the Hope than curious about the kids.'

  Gee remained beside Fred at all times, the boy barely stepping away from the young man.

  "We'll spend a couple of days here and pass through," Adam told the children, having spent another heavy sum for their stay. 'I'm going to be bankrupt if we keep this up...'

  Somehow, the pair of knights and the Lady didn't cause Adam any trouble. The ck of trouble almost caused him tet they were even around, Kitool and Jurot dealing with the nobles, while Adam remained elsewhere. Adam swiftly made his way to the baths ohe inn was dealt with, leaving Kitool and Jurot to hear the pints from the nobles about how they had a certain appearao maintain, and so Jonn and Jaygak went with them to another inn, ag as additional guards.

  When the m came, Adam allowed the children to explore South Port, handing a few silver pieces to each child. Vasera and the others also assisted in guarding the children, while the Marshal remained near Adam, watg over the half elf, though kept an eye on Alex and Gee. He assumed Alex was the child that he o keep an eye on and to report back to the Duchess, having heard of Gee's story from Fred.

  'They said the fort's going to be done in noonval. By the time we return, it's probably going to be the first week of duskval.' Adam had calcuted that if the group rushed back, they'd be able to return to the fort by the end of the month, perhaps even midweek, but pushing the children so much caused his heart to fall.

  "Are you okay, Adam?" Dunes asked, noting the look on Adam's face, taking a seat opposite him.

  "I'm fine."

  "Are you worried about the return?"

  "A little."

  Dunes slowly nodded his head. "Once we return to the Iyr, you will see your children again."

  "Yeah..." A small smile appeared on Adam's face. "We'll be able to see the kids again and I'll get to spoil them. It's a shame I won't be able to see them in their cute little festival outfits, but..."

  Dunes could see the way Adam winced. A thought crossed the young half elf's face, a thought which could allow him to return back to the Iyr swiftly, perhaps with only a few others so he could see his children sooo spoil them, but that gave away to the duty he had to the business and the others he had guaranteed.

  "I pray every m our journey is uful," Dunes said, p the young man some wine.

  "Me too."

  "You have begun to pray?"

  "Lightly."

  "Do you pray in the way the Priests of Lord Sozain do so, or is it your own prayers?"

  "My own prayers."

  Dunes slowly nodded, sipping his wine. "I try to pray as much as I , but it is difficult on the road. The best time to pray is at dawn, and noon, and dusk. I try for all three, for it is most pious, but sometimes I only make one or two of the prayers."

  "Is it bad to miss the prayers?"

  "I must pray at least once each day, unless it is areme circumstahough, if I am training, that is also sidered a prayer. If I am sick, of course the Good Lady uands, and I am exempt. If I do not pray, and I do not have a reason to not pray, or I do not pay my dues, then I will know the Lady's s."

  "Her s?"

  Dunes raised his hands, staring at his palms. "There are tales of priests of old who squahe gifts the Divine had given to them. They did not appreciate them, and they did not pay the proper respects."

  Dunes closed his eyes, inhaling deeply, before letting out a low sigh. "I feel within my body a warmth, Adam. It is a warmth that I do not feel because I am so used to it, but if I trate, I ."

  Dunes opened his eyes and stared at his palms, as though seeing them for the first time. "There is written an at of Kal Kalid, a Brother from many years ago," Dunes said, motioning his head as though to say it was many, many years ago. "He speaks of the Lady's s. It was not overt. It was not, how they say i Port, colourful. It was a chill, Adam. A chill that entered his body because the warmth of the Lady fell away."

  Dunes fell silent for a long moment, before whispering.

  "He felt like any other person. A Brother feels the warmth of the Lady's divinity, but when it goes, it does not feel like you are like any other who lives around you. It is as though you were the Shen of Shens, with all the mountains of gold, and then, one day you fall asleep, and when dawn es, it is gone. You are like the goat herder across the hill, but not the same. You knew of the gold you once had, and then it is gone. You feel the emptiness within your heart, not like that of a goat herder who did not know the pleasure of the mountains of gold you once had."

  'I kinda get it,' Adam thought.

  "Kal Kalid, the Fool we call him, for he tio spur the Lady. Within the month, he jumped off a cliff. He wrote in his journal every day, aill have it. He spoke of his thoughts, and the thoughts he spoke of were that of anger, but it was anger which came through the grief of pride. He could not live without the Lady's warmth, no one ohey feel her warmth."

  "..."

  "Thankfully, I do not spur the Lady. I revere her with all my heart, and she gifts me the power to protect those I love, and for me to plete my duties to my people." Dunes smiled warmly.

  Adam slowly nodded his head. 'Damn.'

  "I will not ask you why you asked me that question, Adam, for no priest would ever ask of it," Dunes said. "Your retionship with Lord Sozain must be special if the Lord of Death has not given you warmth, and you do not believe you will miss it."

  "If you want to know, I'll tell you."

  "Risk my life for forbidden knowledge?" Dunes waved his hand. "Have you fotten why I had e to South Port in the beginning?"

  Adam ughed.

  Sorry, I'm really sibsp;