Adam spent the next few days enchanting, plucking Threads of Fate, forever changing the world.

He finished enchanting Linban’s maul, and Raizaban’s mace.

Linban’s Fury

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

Deals 2D6 bludgeoning damage.

This maul holds three charges. On a hit, you may expend a charge to deal 2D6 fire damage. Regains 1D3 charges at dawn.

Raizaban’s Grace

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

Deals 1D6 bludgeoning + 1D3 fire damage.

“Thank you, Adam,” Aizaban said when they had met.

“I always pay my debts,” Adam said, shaking her forearm. “You three best be good for your parents. They worked hard to make sure you got these weapons.”

The trio of children replied affirmatively, shaking his forearm too, before letting him leave in peace.

Adam had felt lucky the last week, though there was a day he had awoken with such a terrible Omen, but he still enchanted, managing to roll well during the enchanting process.

“I missed you so much my little babby,” Adam said, picking his sister up before showering her in kisses.

She squealed and stuck up her hand in the air, before reaching to grab his collar, trying to pull herself towards his face to kiss his cheek. “Mama.”

“I’m papa, you silly girl.” Adam brushed her hair, before sitting down at a table with Jurot, Jaygak, and Kitool.

“Did you all rest well?” Adam asked. “We’ll be setting off soon, right?”

Jurot nodded. “We should leave in the next few days.”

Adam sighed, resting his cheek against his sister’s. “I’ll be leaving you soon, Lanababy. Papa needs to go work.”

Lanarot babbled back at him, reaching up to grab his hair, before she rested her face against his neck.

“I know, I know, but I need to work, otherwise I’ll be a useless papa.”

“Adam, why are you so queer?” Jaygak asked.

“What do you mean?” Adam asked, rubbing his cheek against his sister’s.

“You’re so affectionate with your little sister.”

Adam remained quiet.

“You know.”

“I don’t know. How could anyone be weird to love someone as amazing as my little sister?”

“What about…” Jaygak looked to the side, where Strom was sitting some ways away, relaxing as he sipped his wine. He turned to look at Jaygak, smiling at her.

“I did think he was weird, but seeing as how he’s been with Lanarot and has been looking after her the past few days, I realised that he’s a top bloke.”

“A top bloke?”

“Yeah,” Adam replied, nodding his head. “He’s a good guy.”

Jaygak wasn’t sure what to say, glancing aside to Kitool for support. However, Kitool didn’t come to her aid, instead remaining quiet. As much as she thought his affection for his little sister was too much, Jurot didn’t speak of it one bit, and she understood it due to how adorable her own younger sister was.

“It’s because you have a little brother and not a little sister,” Adam said. “You bully him, and I find that weird.”

“Bullying your younger sibling isn’t wrong.”

“It isn’t, as long as it’s done in moderation, but I can’t believe you’d steal his peppers all the time.”

“It isn’t all the time, just most of the time.”

“That’s still a huge problem.”

“You don’t understand because you don’t have a little brother.”

“I assure you, Jaygak, I do understand,” Adam replied, smiling at her.

Jaygak was going to retort, though her senses told her that Kitool was going to jab her side, and she recalled how Adam had mentioned he had lost his family. She cleared her throat awkwardly. It took her a moment to see that Adam’s smile was one of sadness and longing.

“Have you thought more about your plans for the inn?” Kitool asked.

“Not really,” Adam admitted. “I did send more money to the Adventurer’s Guild to pay for Nobby’s family. I almost forgot, so I had to ask Elder Zijin, and paid him a little more than I should have to make sure they were alright until the next Twilight Month.”

“How much are you paying them?”

“Ten gold a month until he’s an Expert,” Adam said. “I still need to make him a magical axe. I’ll get to it some time this year, I suppose.”

“How much gold do you have?” Jaygak asked.

“About two and a bit thousand I think?” Adam shrugged his shoulders. “I made sure to pay back the Ban family for their help so I’ve paid all my debts, I think. I should start budgeting for when Nobby becomes an Expert. He’ll go from ten gold a month to fifty. I’ll probably hand him a basic enchantment so that he doesn’t bring too much attention to himself. Ah, plus, we need to find someone for clothes.”

“Clothes?” Jaygak asked.

“A uniform, one that denotes that he works for our business. I need to figure out a symbol for our business too.”

The others noted how he referred to the business collectively, though he had been the one putting in the most effort.

“Have you thought of a design?” Jurot asked.

“I’m a little embarrassed to say it, honestly,” Adam admitted.

“What is it?”

“The symbol would be a light blue circle on a dark blue background, with a diamond cut into the circle.” Adam threw a look away from Jurot.

Jurot nodded his head, his lips twitching into a smile. “It is a good symbol.”

“It’s not fair if only the Rot’s symbol is on it!” Jaygak complained. “At least use our colours!”

Adam looked at their tattoos. The Gak’s family symbol was a red tilted cross in the centre, with yellow tilted kites flowing out from it. The Ool family held a semicircle cut at the top, and red hollow ovals flowing out.

“So what… red on red?”

“Red is the best colour,” Jaygak said, nodding her head.

“You’re only saying that because your skin is red.”

“Yes,” Jaygak replied, as though it were obviously the case.

“I’ll think about it. I do really like red, personally.”

Jurot stared at the Half Elf.

“I like blue too,” Adam said. “There are very few things as beautiful as the open sky.”

Jurot nodded again.

“How’s he coming along anyway?” Adam asked, looking to Jurot.

“He is learning well,” Jurot assured. “It is important to see how he will act in the heat of battle. Blind rage is not useful in a battle.”

“Most of the time,” Jaygak added.

Adam looked down at his sister. “I bet you’d look so cute when you rage.” He brushed her hair past her hair.

Lanarot looked up at Adam, smiling up at him with joy.

“Isn’t that right?” Adam said, tickling her chubby cheek.

Lanarot giggled, clapping her hands in front of him.

Jaygak sighed, throwing a look to Raygak, who was sitting down with the other children, talking about what he had learnt that day.

Kitool couldn’t help but look towards her sister either, her hair in a small bob as it always was. She liked the bob because it had been what her mother had worn for some time, and would always ask for her hair to be cut that way.

They were not the only ones who had been infected by Adam’s queerness. Naqokan had been struck by Iyrheart not long ago, though the other teens, those she had grown up with, had spoken with her to allow her to lift herself out of the crisis which had befallen her.

Strom yawned, stretching his body. He could already feel the slowness setting within his bones, as though ice was beginning to form between his joints. ‘Should I pick a fight with an Iyrmen to keep my body warm?’

“Hey, Strom,” Adam called.

Strom opened an eye towards him. “Hmm?”

Adam motioned with a hand. “You know, you’re always being weird by yourself in the corner. It’s not right.”

“Aren’t you weird too?” Strom asked.

“Yes, but I do it around other people,” Adam said. “Come on.”

“You’re making this old man get up from his comfortable seat?”

“Yes.”

Strom grumbled, but hoisted himself, before settling himself with the youngsters. He glanced between them all. “What should I do now?”

“I just wanted you here because you looked a little lonely.”

“So is that Demon Lord of yours.”

“Yes, but she isn’t dying this year,” Adam said, tempting Fate. “Why don’t you tell us a story? Or do you want to hear one of the great stories of these Iyrmen’s families before you?”

“Should I tell you about how I annihilated an entire empire and destroyed many other kingdoms before installing a once slave race into the supreme position of power?” Strom asked.

“Yes,” came the response of three Iyrmen.

“No,” Adam said, at the same time. “What kinds of things are you saying in front of my sister?”

Strom raised his brows. “She’s an Iyrman.”

Adam narrowed his eyes, his frown falling towards his jaw. “That’s beside the point.”

While Strom began his tale, there was a movement within the Iyr. This was not in response to Elder Peace’s word, which had been sent out in a myriad of different places, with Elder Peace even leaving the Iyr to speak with a notable figure who would be required. Word was brought to the Iyr that it had begun.

Elder Lykan, he who was the Elder of the Front Iyr, a position which was greater than that of a typical Elder but below that of a Great Elder, had received news. He finished reading the slip of paper and burnt it, and by burning it, the news would spread to the Main Iyr, and one of the many aides would send word to the Great Elders.

“We should have expected as much,” Lykan said, making preparations for the feast tomorrow. There would be Iyrmen to be sent out to assist the villagers which were in danger. “The Undead have risen.”