Omen: 15, 16

Adam was lucky today, and if he so wished, he could have enchanted twice, finishing the maul he was enchanting previously. However, today was a special day, and he had promised himself he wasn’t going to enchant.

Not unless he had received the best of Omens.

“Who is this beautiful little girl?” Adam asked, pinching his sister’s cheeks. “Look at you, look at you.”

Lanarot squealed up at him with joy, holding onto his sleeves. She wore the basic attire of the Iyr, though this time it was exactly the colours of the Rot family tattoos. A light blue, and a slightly deeper blue. Adam could barely tell the difference, but he was sure there was a difference.

He was wearing the same attire as his little sister. A lighter shirt underneath a vest, which was cut up diagonally across from the shoulder, with a sash around his waist. He wore a set of trousers which were rolled up to his shins, and a set of thick boots. The rot family symbol, a blue circle followed by blue diamonds, was embroidered into the sleeves.

“Jurot, who is this handsome little girl?” Adam asked.

“Adam,” Jurot said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “She is not handsome.”

“What the hell are you saying?” Adam asked, making a face at the Iyrman.

“She is Cutest In The Whole World.”

“Cutest In The Whole World?” Adam looked down at the girl. “That’s right, that’s right!” Adam picked her up and kissed her face all over, causing her to squirm and squeal.

The other children were also wearing their own clothes, each the colours of their family’s tattoos, as well as their own tattoos embroidered on their sleeves. The other guests wore clothes borrowed from the Iyr, each wearing plain white outfits which mostly fit them. Nobby was the only one who wore well fitted clothing since he had gone to be fitted, though Adam was sure it was just an excuse for the tailors to admire his body.

“It’s a shame that you guys couldn’t come,” Adam said, looking to the teens. They were probably excited to see the man known as Lion King, but they had work to do, so the children were given the privilege.

“The Iyr only works because we adults work,” Nirot said, firmly. “Without us, how else can our siblings enjoy the marriage of the Lion King?”

“My Cousin is so mature,” Adam teased. “I’ll speak with him about bringing you guys along another time to meet him.”

“If we want to meet him we will meet him,” Nirot replied, indignantly.

“Thank you for your words, Adam,” Naqokan quickly said. “We appreciate them.”

Adam nodded at her, before letting his sister down so he could grab his gifts. He picked up the two boxes, one of which he strapped over his shoulder. It was about as long as he was tall, and was as thick as his flexed bicep. The other was much smaller, a cube the size of his palm.

Jurot had brought a box too, and he, like Adam, hadn’t told the other what was inside. It was a much of a surprise for Ashmir as it was for one another.

The children brought the rest of the gifts in their packs, which would be given during the marriage ceremony.

Sonarot mixed some powder with water again, before dabbing her daughter’s forehead with the blue mixture, forming the rough layout of the Rot family tattoo. The other parents did the same for their own children.

Soon, they were all following Sonarot through the many tunnels of the Iyr. Lanarot squirmed, unsettled by all the darkness, but Sonarot hid the girls face into her bosom.

The tunnel eventually gave way to a large open area within the area, one which had been carved out of the Iyr over generations. Wooden buildings dotted the area in front of them, spilling diagonally from the centre. To the side, Adam could see that the buildings stopped, opening up to large fields, which continued further towards the horizon.

The large main road, which allowed ten people to stand side by side, was unimpeded towards the centre, where a group of old Iyrmen sat, writing down all manner of notes. There were a handful of teenagers there too, passing along messages from the centre and away.

Adam noted that there was one road which was as equally as wide as their own, which continued forward to another mountain, though the mountain had been cut towards the top at an angle to allow them to see more of the sky.

‘Damn,’ Adam thought, wondering how the Iyrmen had cut so much of the mountain away.

Small banners hung in the air, one which held the name of four individuals, each with the patterns of the families they represented.

“Come,” Sonarot said, making her way towards the road which was flanked by the banners of the four names.

In the distance they could hear the music, and they could see how the road opened up. There was a large square in the centre, made of white stone, the road leading to the closest side. The sides opposite held a great many Iyrmen, one of which was full of mostly children with a few adults, and the other side were a myriad of Iyrmen. To the side leading away from Adam and the others, there was a large space with a long carpet, where a handful of people sat, and beyond it was the stage where the brides and groom sat, with their closest families right beside them.

Beyond the square were a few more buildings, and then a large field. Some of the buildings were in use, currently in the process of cooking food for the guests of the wedding. From some of the buildings, the musicians played their music, unseen so they did not take the focus away from those getting married.

Sonarot led them towards the side of the square where the stage lay, towards the empty section of the cloth, which was placed so they would be sitting so the brides and groom would be to their side. She sat down, and the children sat down beside her. Lanarot sat slightly ahead of her, slapping the soft carpet under her.

“How come we’re sitting up front?” Adam asked, feeling a little awkward that the rag tag group were sitting so close to the groom and his brides.

“You were invited personally by Ashmir,” Sonarot replied, simply.

Adam and the others took their place before the stage, where they had a better view of those getting married.

The four who were getting married each wore fine clothing, though it was much looser than those of the guests, though they were almost entirely black. However, each wore a long piece of cloth over their shoulders, which was adorned with many different colours, with designs of the various patterns of the Iyr, as well as their own family tattoos.

Ashmir, the Lion King, was a Guest of the family, and had been adopted into the Mir family due to the coincidence that their names matched. His pattern was slightly different than the others, as though it was the same as the Mir family, that of a green seven pointed star and a red crescent moon, the sharp ends of the moon pointed downward, it was the only one which was hollow.

“Adam,” Jurot called in their tongue.

“Yeah?”

“Dunes looks just like Ashmir,” Jurot stated, quietly.

Adam turned to face his brother, smiling slightly. “You didn’t know?”

“Know what?”

“They are father and son.”

Jurot threw a look to Dunes quickly, who hadn’t mentioned it to him. “How do you know?”

“Detectivigation,” Adam replied, trying to sound intelligent. “I, very bluntly, and not subtly at all, asked about their lives and figured it out. Then I told them about it, like an idiot.”

“You are not an idiot.”

“I meant I told them like an idiot, not that I was an idiot for telling them.”

“They do not seem close,” Jurot said, wondering why Dunes was not sitting on the stage with his father.

“Dunes lived his entire life away from his father, so…”

Jurot nodded, understanding what Adam was saying.

Iyrmen teens walked about them, bringing drinks and snacks, from milk to water, and alcohol for the adults. The snacks were small fried bread, some of which were filled with cheese, and pastries which were full of vegetables and spices.

Lanarot was a fiend, inhaling the small bread balls, though she had already eaten a little earlier.

Lucy was busy admiring Ashmir’s form, and then the form of the slightly older Shamir, who held his typical stern face, even on a day like this.

“I should get married in the Iyr,” she said. “I’ll find a hunky Iyrman.”

“Any ideas?” Adam asked.

“Not yet. I’m keeping my options open.”

“You can’t have Jurot, he already has someone,” Adam said, firmly.

“If I marry him, then you’ll become my brother.” Lucy gagged.

“You’d be lucky to marry my brother,” Adam replied, pointing at her to accentuate the point. “He’s big, strong, handsome, and he’s a member of the Rot family. His ancestor, Jarot, brought the Rukhs to the Iyr, and he helped out the Devilkin!”

“He’s still related to you,” Lucy replied, sticking out her tongue with a look of disgust.

“You’re lucky we’re at a wedding, otherwise I’d beat you up,” Adam said.

“If you wish to fight, you can,” Jurot said, motioning to the square beside them.

“We can fight?” Adam asked, before very quickly speaking again. “Right, of course we can. What kind of Iyrman wedding would it be without a fight.”

“Spilling a little blood during a wedding is a sign of good fortune,” Jurot stated.

“Of course it is.” Adam sighed, drinking his milk.

The drums picked up and groups of children from one side began to stand, making their way to the stage. They were each holding small sacks in their hands, gifts to be given to the married couples. The children set their gifts in front of the bride and groom in the centre, and to the sides of the two brides who sat ahead of them. Most of the gifts were a bundle of fabric, or pieces of pottery, or utensils, and even weapons.

“What’s with how they’re sitting?” Adam asked, noting that Ashmir and his four brides were sat awkwardly. Ashmir sat side by side with the oldest Iyrman woman he was marrying, but the other two, who sat to the side of the middle two, sat ahead by about a step.

“He is marrying multiple women, so-“

“Hold on,” Adam said, rudely interrupting Jurot. “That girl looks so young.”

One of Ashmir’s brides looked almost as young as him.

“Yes,” Sonarot said. “He is to marry three women, and the youngest is sixteen.”

Adam almost spat out his milk. “Excuse me?”

“What?” Sonarot asked.

“She’s so young!”

Sonarot nodded.

“Why is he marrying someone so young?” Adam whispered.

“She is an adult.”

The reply had come so bluntly, that it struck Adam like a hammer.

“She’s…” Adam stopped. “Right. Of course.” Adam was now in a new world, one with so many different rules and cultures. He still couldn’t help but think that the age gap was far too large. Ashmir seemed to be almost in his fifties. ‘That’s crazy.’

“The oldest sits besides whoever is the main focus of the marriage, and the younger two are to sit up front slightly so they are not overshadowed,” Jurot informed.

“Marrying multiple people does make it awkward, I guess,” Adam said. “This is why I’ll only marry one woman.” Adam nodded his head.

“Why do you not wish to marry multiple?” Sonarot asked. If he did marry multiple, then her nieces could marry him eagerly, as well as Entalia and whoever this Mara was. It would be so much simpler.

“One woman is difficult enough and I can’t imagine trying to please multiple.”