Omen: 3, 15

  Adam stared at the numbers, a smile on his face. ‘I k. Telling Dunes was the right thing to do.’ He only half believed himself, uanding that sometimes he’d be lucky, and sometimes he’d be unlucky.

  The guilt of not telling Dunes even for a day had pressed against him like a wave, but now that wave had flowed away, leaving him feeling light.

  “Are you feeling lucky today?” Sonarot asked, as she always did.

  “A little,” Adam admitted, seeing Lanarot’s sleepy face, some milk dribbling down her . “Good m, sleepyhead.” Adam pulled her onto his p and brushed her hair. “Did you sleep good?”

  Lanarot yawned quietly, before humming out a groaing her head against his chest. Adam recalled when she had been so small, so light. She was light still, she was still a baby after all, but now there was more of a sturdiness about her.

  Lanarot eventually awoke properly, and crawled around, pying with her blocks, tossing them around, and crawling over to Adam. Adam gave her all the attention she wanted, lettiand beside him, her hands gripping his sleeve tight to keep herself upright.

  “What’s wrong?” Adam asked.

  “Oof!” Lanarot said, pointing up to him.

  “What do you mean, oof?” Adam said, reag down to pinch her cheek.

  “Apoopoo!”

  “You!” Adam picked her up just under her pits. “You’re apoopoo.”

  Lanarot giggled, kig out her legs towards him, before g her hands together and squirming under him.

  Adam tio hold her around, making aeropne noises, before eventually taking her outside for some fresh air.

  The Iyr felt different. There ressure in the Iyr, something which had taken away the fort that he usually felt. He looked around, trying to find where the disfort came from.

  “Dunes?” Adam said, catg the sight of the young Aswadian. “What are you doing here?”

  “I am a Guest of the Rot family, aren’t I?” Dunes replied, pretending to be fused.

  “You know what I mean,” Adam said, joining his patriots. They seemed ready and eager to train that m, especially Nobby and Brittany.

  “I spoke with him for some time,” Dunes said. “It is all but firmed that he is my father.”

  “Yeah?” Adam said, smiling at him.

  “Even so, we do not have much of a e together,” Dunes admitted, looking to the small fire nearby. “I was born and raised in my temple, and so my family is there.”

  Adam smiled, sadly. He bowed his head, sighing. “Yeah, I guess that’s true. I’m just gd the two of you know the truth at least. I just didn’t want you to live near your father without ever knowing about it. That’s just so… sad.”

  Dunes nodded, patting Adam’s shoulder. “Thank you, Adam.”

  “Any time.” Adam nodded his head iurn.

  The training that m was lighter than usual.

  “You must be careful,” Shikan had warned. “Magic is dangerous during this month, so you ot train too hard.”

  After the light training, Adam pyed with the children. Sockball was the game of the day, and Adam pyed lightly with them, not wanting to stress them too mubsp;

  “I have defeated you,” Katool said, a smug smile on her face as she stared up at him.

  “Of course you have,” Adam said, brushing her hair. “You are so amazing, aren’t you?”

  “Yes.” She nodded her head, causing her freshly cut bob to bounbsp;

  “I beat you too,” Turot said.

  “Obviously you beat me,” Adam said, ruffling the boy’s hair. “You’re so good at sockball, so how am I meant to beat you?”

  Saygak smiled, pg his fists at his waist, staring down at Adam in his victory. He was the best that day, so Adam pat his head as his reward.

  Naqoka an eye on Adam, all the while Lanarot held onto her fingers, squatting and standing in front of the young Iyrman. ‘Slowly,’ she thought. ‘I must pnt the seed a bear fruit.’

  A chill crossed the back of Adam’s neck, and he rubbed it, trying to warm himself up. ‘The Iyr is so weird. Is it because it’s the Twilight Month?’

  Once Adam was done pying, he quickly bathed in the nearby river, using the hard soap of the Iyr as he always had, before returning to find Elder Zijin, who eaking with Dunes.

  “Adam, Elder Gold wishes to speak with you,” the Elder said, having spotted Adam’s arrival.

  “What did I do this time?” Adam asked, furrowing his brows suspiciously at the Elder, his face growing sour.

  “Do not make that face,” Zijin grumbled. “She merely wishes to speak with you.”

  ‘Should I take Lanarot with me?’ Adam thought, unsure if Elder Gold would try to kill him.

  “You are in no trouble,” Zijin assured, noting the look on the Half Elf’s fabsp;

  “Fine,” Adam said, before he grabbed a piece of bread which was freshly baked. He tore some off for his sister, before leaviing the bread as he made his way to Elder Gold.

  Elder Gold’s residence was he Chief’s, and it was almost identical, save for the courtyard, which grew several trees. One of the trees grew a fruit, though it looked more like a gem.

  “Gemtree,” Elder Gold said, having appeared behind the Half Elf from nowhere. “The fruits grow over a year, and they are plucked at the end of this month. Each is worth hundreds, if not thousands of gold.”

  ‘You god damn Iyrmen,’ Adam thought, his heart pounding harshly from the sudden appearance of the Iyrman. “Oh?”

  “Every year different families are gifted the fruit, save for a few which are kept away in the Iyr’s coffers.”

  “I’ll be sure to bet for some of these then,” Adam replied, staring up at the fruit. ‘I wonder what they do.’

  Elder Gold smiled. “I have heard that you have ented the axe which you had won from me.”

  “Yeah,” Adam said. “I Shadow, for it was a shadow of Phantom.”

  Elder Gold bowed her head, inviting Adam to sit, though he remaianding in the courtyard. He had figured out why Elder Gold had called him, and he was sure that he wouldn’t be here long.

  “Quite the useful entment,” she said. “Why do you not keep it?”

  “It had to be sold,” Adam replied, simply.

  “It was made of such fierials. Iyrsteel and Iyr ash, fed by one of our fi smiths.”

  “I’m sure,” Adam replied, nodding his head. “So o was ented by me, it should sell for easily over a thousand, maybe closer to two thousand?”

  “It was quite the loss for me,” she said.

  “I’m sure,” Adam replied. “Do you remember our previous deal?”

  “Yes.”

  “I have hope that you will keep your word, Elder Gold, because I believe our feelings are mutual oters of trust,” Adam said. “Is there anything else you need of me, Elder Gold, or may I go and work?”

  “You may leave,” she said, slowly bowing her head, letting him go. She sighed, watg him leave. “We will not ask you to donate ons for three years, Adam.”

  Adam paused for a moment. He wondered if he should fight, but let it go. There was o aggravate them. ‘I should have expected as much.’

  She still wasn’t sure if she had made the right choice wheook the Dragon scales, and she wasn’t sure if she made the right choiow, removing Phantom from his grasp.

  She sighed.

  “Are you sure you wish to au it?” Elder Zijin asked once Adam had returned. He wasn’t sure the exact details of the versation, but he was sure the pair had exged their i.

  “Yes,” Adam replied. “I am more stubborn than you think I am, Elder Zijin. I to be aued off so I have enough moo make what I really want to make.”

  “Okay,” Elder Zijin said.

  ‘Wait,’ Adam thought. ‘If I made ons in the Iyr, ’t they also try to take them from me too?’

  “What worries you?” Sonarot asked, him a bowl of soup.

  “I just realised that I probably ’t make ons in the Iyr,” he replied. “They’ll take the ons away from me.”

  Sonarot pced a hand against his. “Do not worry, Adam. Smith freely. We will guarahat the ons you smith will be yours.”

  “Okay,” Adam said. “In which case, do you have any designs for axes? I o make several designs. Swords, spears, shields, and axes.”

  “Is this for your inn?”

  “Yes,” Adam said, smiling. “It is.”

  “We have a few designs in our family vault. I will see which design may be useful for you.”

  “Thanks. If it’s the Rot family design for an axe, I’m sure it’ll be good. I’ll go and desigher stuff today then.”

  Adam grabbed his book and began to sketch a number of designs in the spare room of the Rot house. He grabbed a rge sheet of paper from the warehouse, aarted to sketch the design of the various ons.

  Smithing Check (Intelligence)D20 + 5 = 17 (12)

  Smithing Check (Intelligence)D20 + 5 = 19 (14)

  Smithing Check (Intelligence)D20 + 5 = 19 (14)

  Adam had thought about using his Omen for the designs, but he decided against it. The blueprints were fine for the various ons, and he didn’t want to tempt fate over something so small, especially during this month.

  ‘But then again,’ Adam thought. ‘This is for business. I should probably at least aim for a 20 in each of them. I guess I’ll tio work on them over time then.’

  He eventually stepped out of the house, stretg out his back, before he noticed a few figures nearby.

  “What are you guys doing here?”

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