The group left the fort as it was, just in case they needed to retreat to it for any reason, and to allow anyone who came across it some needed comfort.

Adam made sure to bathe last that day, before donning his nightval bear leather and his plate mail. The noonval heat was beginning to wear him down, though Jaygak was quietly humming a tune.

“We got everything?” Adam asked, double checking the entire area, having dismantled the inner workings of the camp.

“We have everything which we can take,” Kitool assured him.

Adam threw a longing look at the walls, before tapping the earth. “You did us well, old friend. I wish you the best of fortunes.”

Shamia looked to Jurot, who bowed his head.

“He is queer,” Jurot explained.

Shamia bowed her head.

The parties met together, forming one large group once more, taking the same positions they had previously.

“A second elk?” Oliver asked.

“Yes,” Adam said, elaborating no further.

“I’m glad to see it,” the adventurer admitted.

“Don’t you have a Guardian too?” Adam threw a look to Matilda.

“Yes,” Oliver said, before furrowing his brows. He turned to look at Matilda, who avoided their gaze. There had been a reason as to why Matilda didn’t summon her steed, but it was not something applicable to this situation.

The group made their way, following the path they had taken. Soon they were away from the hills, and the porters were thankful for it.

The journey back was not unpleasant, as the two Iron Rank parties, which loved to cause issues, remained silent most of the time. They were too tired to pick fights with the Half Elf.

Adam smiled, enjoying the peace and quiet.

Omen: 7, 15

“Going to spend that gold in the library?” Adam asked over dinner.

Rick nodded. “I will.”

Adam sighed. “I can’t wait to get back to the Iyr. I’m going to quit adventuring for at least a month.”

Rick wasn’t sure that was what quitting meant, but he wasn’t as learned as Adam. “We’d have made a pretty penny.”

“I’m going to buy some paint,” John, the farmer, stated.

“Going to buy some for little Rian too?” Adam asked.

“Suppose I should.”

“Do you have any dye left?” Adam asked, looking to Charley.

“Enough for the way back,” Charley replied, sipping her soup, tapping the bowl with her pinky.

Adam looked to Greg and Ivy, who were quite the quiet pair. He left them be, letting them sit in their peace.

Lucy yawned. “It’s a shame the Outbreaks done. I hear there are Outbreaks with all kinds of monsters. We could have killed so many different beasties.”

“Don’t jinx us,” Adam grumbled. “We’re not out of the woods yet.”

“We’re out of the hills at least,” Lucy said.

“Right.”

Omen: 9, 13

The past two days had been uneventful, and Adam was glad for it. They could see the walls of Red Oak in the distance, and it filled Adam with great relief.

‘Finally!’ He sighed. ‘We did it. We managed to get back in one piece.’

“Are you going to disappear to bathe?” Jaygak asked.

“Of course,” Adam replied, simply. “What else am I to do?”

“Bread?” Jaygak asked, her eyes falling across Jurot.

“That can come after.”

“Thank you again, Adam,” Shamia called from the side.

“Any time, Lady Shamia. It’s only a decent thing to do, to help another.”

“Not all people are decent.”

“Yes, well, I do try.” Adam chuckled.

Shamia was glad to have met Jurot again, as well as the Iyrman’s brother. She was sure that Fate had brought them together. Back then, she had almost fallen prey to the gem troll, but since then they had gained much greater powers, and they had gained new allies in shape of the two Tribesfolk.

“Will you be fine heading into the town?” Shamia whispered towards Ironblade.

“Fine,” Ironblade replied. “They will not cause trouble with the Iyrmen.”

Shamia bowed her head. The Iyrmen allowed them great benefits, and being a Noble from another country also helped. Hakor, the Confederacy in general, had very little hostility with Aldland. There had been some skirmishes in the past, but due to how far apart they were, with a mutual foe between, they were closer to allies than enemies.

Hades swooped down, landing on Adam’s head. Adam stopped, picking up the bird from his head. He stared down into its eyes. ‘What did that mean again?’

He turned.

Perception Check

D20 + 3 = 14 (11)

Adam stared at the pathway behind, before tossing Hades up, causing the owl to fly upwards. Once he was far enough, Adam concentrated, closing his eyes as his body shuddered, before he felt his wings beat, and he could see from the skies.

Using Hades’ senses, he could see something in the distance. A large swath of darkness, which was speeding towards them. He snapped out of the bird, and quickly turned on his heel.

“Run!” Adam shouted. “Go! Go go!”

The group sped up under Adam’s insistence.

“What’s wrong?” Oliver asked.

“Outbreak,” Adam said. “Behind us.”

Oliver nodded, and soon the whistles were blown, and the group sped towards the walls of Red Oak.

“Kitool!” Adam shouted, nodding his head.

Kitool darted away, and Azar joined her. “You must tell them of the Outbreak,” Kitool said, knowing that Azar was holding back. At her word, the Aswadian quickly rushed away.

Jurot and Lucy remained near the back, though they could have easily left the group.

“How many are there?” Jurot asked.

“Too many,” Adam said. “At least a hundred, probably more.”

It would have been awkward to fight, since the creatures outnumbered them at least five to one, and they did not have the walls of the outpost.

However, the creatures were far quicker than the group, and they were swiftly catching up. Adam glanced back over his shoulders, seeing the myriad of creatures which were charging towards them.

‘We might not make it,’ Adam thought, before his eyes snapped to Brittany and Nobby. Brittany could also move swiftly, and perhaps was the swiftest out of them all, but she remained with Nobby. Then his eyes fell to the identical looking cousins, who were carrying large packs full of hides.

“Toss the hides on the cart,” Adam said.

“Careful!” came shouts from ahead, and as the group looked ahead, they watched as Oliver cut through one of the mules, causing it to stagger and drop. Luckily, Matilda’s elk was already pulling the cart along so they didn’t need to give up anything.

Vonda inhaled sharply, not liking the fact they had to give up a life, but it was better that it was the mule and not them. ‘Mother Soza, forgive us.’

The second mule cried, and it staggered, its hind leg wounded, causing it to slow. The group passed it by, and Adam pat it against its back.

“Sorry, ol’ girl,” he said, before rushing forward.

However, it did not stop the Outbreak for long, and most of it continued to charge forward. It was made up of all kinds of creatures, from bears, to wolves, to bearwolves. Adam was too worried to think about the lack of originality of the creatures this time.

Hades flew up ahead, and Adam noted the lack of flying creatures.

“Jurot,” Adam said.

“Yes?”

“I’ll be back.”

Mana: 18 -> 15

Spell: Fly

Adam stopped, pressing a hand to his breastplate as he chanted the words to his spell, motioning with his other hand. “Flight, please.” He wasn’t sure what else to chant as his Mana rushed through his body, and he leapt into the air, before flying towards the mass of creatures.

Mana: 15 -> 12

Spell: Fireball

8D6 = 36 (2, 3, 3, 4, 6, 6, 6, 6)

36 damage!

Mana: 12 -> 9

Spell: Fireball

8D6 = 34 (3, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 5)

34 damage!

Mana: 9 -> 6

Spell: Fireball

8D6 = 28 (2, 2, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5, 5)

28 damage!

Mana: 6 -> 3

Spell: Fireball

8D6 = 31 (1, 2, 2, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6)

31 damage!

Mana: 3 -> 0

Spell: Fireball

8D6 = 37 (1, 4, 4, 4, 6, 6, 6, 6)

37 damage!

Adam rained Fireballs from the sky towards the large group of creatures, killing a large portion of the creatures, and heavily wounding many others. However, about two thirds of the Outbreak was still fresh, and so Adam shot out his Flame Bolts trick, which did not require much Mana.

He killed as many as he could with his Flame Bolts, thinning the herd as best as he could, flying away from them as he did. He tried his best to stay far enough away from them, pulling away every few bolts so that they couldn’t pounce on him as he slowed to a near halt to cast his Flame Bolts.

“We won’t make it!” Mikayla gasped, being pulled along by her companions, before one of the Aldishmen grabbed her, tossing her over his shoulder. She screamed for a moment, before Twobone growled at her to shut up.

The young Wizard woman looked up at the flying Adam. “He’s flying for now, but if we hit him, he’ll fall. It would give us more time.”

“You’d be cut down before the spell flew from your hands,” Jurot warned her. Adam had pulled back to deal with the Outbreak to slow it down and to give them a greater chance, and yet the Scribe Mage woman still wanted more from him?

For a moment, just a moment, the thought of grabbing her and tossing her to the Outbreak passed through Jurot’s mind, but it disappeared as quickly as it had come into his mind.

He was not Aldish.

The group approached the two figures they had sent ahead, and in front of them were the town gates.

They were close.

They were closed.