Omen: 9, 13

Adam lifted his sister up, staring at her face. She stared up at him with a smile, bringing her hand to her mouth shyly, before giggling with joy.

“Why would you do this to me?”

Lanarot replied with another giggle.

“Am I a joke to you?”

Lanarot giggled again, kicking out her legs.

“This betrayal shall never be forgotten.”

“Obooboo,” the girl replied to him, reaching up for his beard.

Adam had spent most of the morning in the river. He had already used his trick, Tricks, in order to clean up the mess she had caused on top of him during breakfast, but he had scrubbed himself down thrice.

‘Tricks is the best,’ Adam thought, all the while Lanarot tugged on his beard, which had grown fairly thick. He had not shaved in some time, and Lanarot had gotten used to his beard. He wondered how she would react if he shaved it.

“You bad, bad girl,” Adam said, nuzzling his sister. “How can you take a dump on me when I was talking with the others?”

Lanarot babbled in response, clapping her hands together, smiling a toothy smile.

Adam kissed her forehead. “What strong poops you have, Lanababy. I bet other babies couldn’t poop as strong as you to leak all over their older brother.”

Lucy stared at Adam with her eyes half closed. ‘Cringe. I can’t believe he’s my friend.’

Adam placed Lanarot on the ground. “I have to go enchant now, so be good for mama, okay?”

Lanarot, who was on all fours, looked up at Adam. She smiled a cheeky smile, one which had trouble written all over it, before crawling away.

Mana: 18 -> 16

Enchanting Check

D20 + 7 = 26 (19)

‘Damn. I shoulda done the mace.’

Omen: 3, 12

When Adam awoke, he had planned to workout, as he had been for the last few weeks. However, as he stepped out of the house, he saw the children were all gathered around the little Katool, who was chatting excitedly with them all.

‘Oh, yeah,’ Adam thought. “Good morning, everyone.”

“Good morning, Cousin Adam,” came the response from the children.

“What’s going on here?” Adam asked.

“It is my birthday,” Katool said, smiling wide up at him.

“What? It’s our lovely Katool’s birthday?” Adam asked, gasping. “No wonder you look so big.” Adam reached down to pick her up, letting out pained grunts as he tried to pick the girl up. “You’re so big now, little Katool. I can barely pick you up.”

Katool smirked at Adam. “I am a big girl.”

“That’s right, what a big girl you are,” Adam said, ruffling her hair, before putting her down. “I can’t even hold you for long because you’re so big.” He leaned down and rubbed his back, grumbling about his back, causing the children to laugh.

That morning he played with the children, making sure that Katool had her fill of play before they readied for breakfast. The children all passed Katool various different trinkets, with Taygak handing a small plate for the girl with the design of the Ool family against the bottom.

“Here you are, little Katool,” Adam said, holding out a platinum coin.

Katool stared at the coin for a moment. “That is not silver.”

“How smart you are,” Adam said. “It’s a platinum coin.”

She looked up at her mother for guidance first, and once she had received permission, she took the platinum coin.

“This is Katool’s platinum coin. No one is allowed to spend it except for you, okay?”

“Okay,” the girl replied, staring at the coin in her small hand.

Adam assumed that the children would be taken out to explore the towns and cities, and gave her the coin in order for her to buy whatever she liked. ‘Hold on. Isn’t a platinum coin worth like a thousand copper?’ He looked down at the girl, realising he had given her a month’s worth of wages for some of the poorest labourers.

Zorool wanted to say something, but seeing as his wife, Citool, was fine with the situation, he refrained from speaking. The other Iyrmen, used to Adam’s antics, didn’t even bat an eye at the Half Elf handing the girl so much money. Sonarot was impressed that he had restrained himself to only a platinum coin, knowing that he had gems worth several times more.

“Have fun on your birthday,” Adam said, brushing her hair. “Make sure you bring me back some pizza, okay?”

“Okay,” the girl said, clutching the coin tighter, beaming up at Adam.

‘How adorable are all my Cousins, really?’ Adam thought, enjoying the dessert for his heart.

The Ool family took her to meet with the rest of her family, and Adam went to enchant.

Mana: 18 -> 16

Enchanting Check

D20 + 7 = 9 (2)

Omen: 3, 12 -> 3

12 + 7 = 19

Adam plucked a Thread of Fate.

The Shen sighed, rubbing his forehead. After the defeat to Aldland, the situation in Aswadia had taken a turn for worse. The East Scimitar had grown wild due to the fact he was unable to fight for the islands, sure that he and the five thousand Soldiers under his command would have been able to turn the tide.

The Great Twilight which had come had ravaged the land to a greater extent than even the Shen could have imagined.

‘One year,’ the Shen thought. He had managed to gather a year’s time from the peace which had been brought. ‘Aldland no doubt has suffered severe losses due to keeping their most experienced Soldiers on the islands, but we need time to recover.’

He stared down at the paper before him. It was a request to increase the security within the palace, increasing the amount of Farisi of the Gold Hands from one hundred to two hundred. If he signed it, there would be rumblings, but his precious daughter had been almost killed out of the blue.

‘How dare they,’ he thought.

His hand shook for a moment, the hesitation passing quickly, before he dipped his quill into the ink and signed the request. He had written it, but he had dared against signing it. Passing the Edict of Supreme Authority which had been granted to the Shen by an ancestor before him, he could bring into effect any law he pleased, as long as it was an emergency.

He understood the outrage which would occur from the Khans, but when it came to his daughter, how could he not increase the Gold Hands?

Thus Fate was forever changed.

[Would you like to spend XP to empower the weapon?]

‘100,’ Adam replied.

XP: 7200 -> 7100

Longsword

You gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls made with this weapon.

The weapon deals 1D6 slashing damage and +3 fire damage.

[Would you like to name the weapon?]

‘No.’

Longsword

You gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls made with this weapon.

The weapon deals 1D6 slashing damage and +3 fire damage.

XP Gained: +300

XP: 7100 -> 7400

‘That’s not exactly the best,’ Adam thought, slightly disappointed with the weapon. ‘You could have at least given me just a +1 fire damage on a typical longsword.’

He approached Elder Zijin later that evening with the longsword. “Elder Zijin, if you would please auction this sword.”

Zijin bowed his head. “I trust you have not forgotten our deal?”

“No,” Adam replied, raising his brows. “Did you think I would?”

Zijin smiled. “No.”

“I’m finishing Zonda’s mace first, and then I’ll get working on your sword whenever I have the best luck, since you want a great enchantment.”

Zijin nodded, allowing Adam to leave.

“Did you not enchant today?” Sonarot asked once Adam had returned.

Adam stared at the woman. ‘Oh, damn.’ “Sorry. It wasn’t that great, so I gave it right to Elder Zijin.”

Sonarot smiled. “Then it is no loss. What was it like?”

“A basic enchantment, with a little fire damage,” Adam replied, shrugging his shoulders.

“I am sure it was a good blade,” Sonarot said.

Omen: 13, 20

“Nice,” Adam whispered in the morning.

“Good fortune?” Sonarot asked, brushing her daughter’s hair as the baby drank her milk.

“Yes.” Adam stretched out his body. “I should be able to finish Vonda’s mace today.”

“Be careful,” Sonarot said.

“I will.”

Mana: 18 -> 16

Enchanting Check

D20 + 7 = 21 (14)

Omen: 13, 20

20 + 7 = 27

Adam plucked a Thread of Fate.

The young man plucked the petals from the flower, alternating between confessing his love, and deciding against it.

“I shall not,” he said, plucking the last of the petals, before revealing another petal which had been hidden behind the flower.

The young man, with fiery red hair, and bright green eyes, smiled. “I shall,” he said, plucking the last of the petals.

“Korin,” called the voice of the Blood Mage from behind. “Why is it always you who takes the longest?”

Korin looked back to the Blood Mage, a young woman his age, a Devilkin from within the desert of Aswadia. She was a Noble, as the gem embedded within her head revealed.

“Sorry,” the young man said, strapping on his helmet. “Let’s go.” He tied the longsword against his side, strapping his shield against his back. The shield was painted with the symbol of one of the Gods, a crown atop a blade, which was pointed towards the crown.

“Since the war is over, we should be able to freely travel the land,” Sara said.

“Stay close to me, otherwise you’ll be in danger,” Korin said.

“Even if I am a Devilkin, they would not dare to harm me,” Sara replied. “I am a Noble.”

“Do you think being a Noble changes the fact you’re a Devilkin in Aldland?”

“The Iyrmen Devilkin can move freely,” she said, frowning.

“You’re no Iyrman.”

Sara narrowed her eyes, but remained silent.

“Let’s go find that brother of ours,” Korin said.

Thus Fate was forever changed.