“She really doesn’t like me,” Adam said, watg Elder Gold leave.

  “It’s not that,” Sonarot said, rubbing Adam’s shoulder gently. “She is worried for the Iyr. You are an enigma, something we ot uand. Even though you’re treating us kindly, there will be many others in the Iyr who will be wary of you. They do not know your story.”

  “I guess,” Adam said. “I’m sorry about making it awkward for you. I didn’t mean to get you all in trouble.”

  “There was no trouble,” Sonarot said. She walked to Jurot to rub his fad brush his hair as well, trying to calm him down.

  Jurot was sure he’d be irouble, but sighed in relief as his mother smothered him in affe. He was gd the situation was resolved, mostly due to his mother’s as. His words had also formed a shield for Adam.

  The other Iyrmen exged gnces between one another, sending wordless messages. They had learnt mahings about Adam, things which tio surprise them.

  “I don’t like him,” Elder Gold said, sitting before the reat Elders during the eveniing. She has been stewing ohoughts for hours, and her suspis had only grown.

  “Here we go again,” Elder Forest said, rolling her eyes, bringing up some tea to her lips.

  “He shows no respect for the rules!”

  “Are we going to spend another evening speaking about him?” Chief Iromin asked, reag for a snack. “Or are we going to discuss preparations for the festival?”

  “I have dealt with the preparations for the festival,” Elder Gold replied. “Each Elder uands what must be done, and it will move as smoothly as it had dohe each festival as before.”

  “I’ve also passed on the message about the athletic events,” Elder Wrath said. “A fair prize has been offered.” His eyes fell to Elder Gold.

  “I have dealt with the matter of the ovens. The excess food will be dealt with accly,” Elder Forest said, before her eyes fell onto Elder Gold.

  “There is also that matter which we o speak of,” Iromin said. “I’m sure he will accept, we just o ask him for his permission.” His eyes fell to Elder Gold as he bit into his snacks.

  “I’m sure he’ll accept too,” Elder Teacher said. “I believe he would be willing to spread it under his name if we offered it.”

  Elder Gold noted how everyohrew their gazes her way. “What?”

  “Someone will o ask him,” Chief Iromin said.

  Elder Gold’s eyes fshed between the each Elder. “You wao ask him?”

  “You are Elder Gold,” Elder Wrath said. “It falls under your responsibility.”

  Elder Gold tio gween them all, full of shock. “You ’t be serious. I refuse!”

  Omen: 11, 20

  “Will you begin enting today?” Sonarot asked, pg down a shield as Adam finished his m meditation.

  “I should,” Adam said, smiling at her. “I’m feeliremely lucky.” He he shield, which was quite tall, and rou the top and bottom.

  “Will you be ba time?”

  “I’m not sure. If the beginning of my enting ght, I’ll have to tinue.”

  “I will have food ready for you,” she said, brushing his cheek and kissing his forehead.

  Even now her affe was awkward for Adam, but he accepted it.

  “Here,” Sonarot said, dropping some gems into his hand.

  “I was just going to use my gems,” Adam admitted, feeling the warm gems in his hand.

  “You are making a shield for my darling Jurot.” The older Iyrman smiled, closing the half elf’s fingers over the gems.

  Adam hat the Tiger Eyes were slightly rger than those he previously used, and she had handed em he hadn’t seen before, which almost looked like a golden ball. “I’ll do my best,” he said.

  “Adam is leaving again?” Turot asked, watg the half elf go with the shield Sonarot had brought from the family vault. ‘We haven’t pyed yet…’

  “He is,” she said, simply.

  “He’s enting a shield for cousin Jurot?”

  “That’s right.”

  “ he really make it so it’s like Thunderwave?” Turot remembered the on which had allowed him to cast Fme Bolt. He had pyed with it a little, as did the other children. Fme Bolt was a Trick, however.

  “What do you think?”

  Turot stared up at her, deep in thought. ‘His ented ons have been strong. Even cousin Jurot thinks they are amazing.’ If Jurot had thought the ons were amazing, they must have been so.

  Sonarot allowed him to think in peace, sitting down in her chair as she began to knit.

  ‘A shield isn’t a on,’ Turot thought. ‘A shield is a shield. Shields are important. Shields are hard.’ “I don’t know,” the boy admitted after a few minutes.

  Sonarot smiled. “The’s wait and see.”

  Turot grabbed his book and began to write and draw in it beside her as she knitted. For once, he didn’t py with the other children in the m. Instead, he tried to write down and sort his thoughts in his book, as he had been taught.

  Mana: 8 -> 6EntingD20 + 7 = 24 (17)

  “Nice,” Adam said, panting slightly. “This shield is going to be amazing!” He grinned wide, before noting the loss of extra Mana. ‘Hmmm.’

  Mana: 6 -> 2EntingD20 + 7 = 13 (6)Omen: 11, 20 -> 1120 + 7 = 27

  As he plucked the Thread of Fate, a dwarf fell, smming up against the human mage, who quickly ed himself around his pack, managing to save it in time. However, the dwarf’s hammer fell to into the ravihe group looked between one another before desding into the ravine, unwilling to leave behind something which could be used to track them.

  Adam gasped for air as he y on the ground. His heart ounding wildly as he felt his magic course through him. The sed round of enting had been more taxing than usual, and he recalled how it wasn’t long ago he had almost been taken by a magical disease. ‘I should really be careful.’

  Omen: 12, 15

  “Jurot, what do you want to he shield?” Adam asked in the m, stretg his body.

  Jurot, who was one of few Iyrmen who held shields in high regard as part of their family ons, uood the se behind naming shields.

  Amokan and Timojin would have g the half elf with a queer look if they had heard the question.

  “Mighty Roar,” Jurot said, after having thought for a long moment.

  “Got it,” Adam said, nodding his head. ‘Damn, what a cool name. He has a pretty good sense for naming, I should ask him to he ons.’

  Mana: 8 -> 6EntingD20 + 7 = 22 (15)

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

  ‘Of course! The maximum amount!’

  XP: 1100 -> 600

  Adam blinked as he stared at the shield’s statistics. “Whoa.” He hadn’t expected it to be so good.

  He waited to he shield.

  Moments tio pass.

  ‘Bell?’

  [Yes?]

  ‘You’re not going to ask me to he shield?’

  [Who names shields?]

  ‘Oi!’

  [Would you like to he shield?]

  ‘Mighty Roar,’ Adam replied, shaking his head. ‘Watch it, Bell, you little shit.’ Adam chuckled.

  XP: 600 -> 1200

  Adam eventually returned with the shield, the Iyrmao keep an eye on him theo report to an Elder.

  “Jurot!” Adam called, gng around to find Jurot.

  He was with the others, who were chatting amongst each other. Jurot was currently w on a wooden block, carving something out of it, but upon hearing Adam’s voice, he put it aside.

  The children had also heard Adam’s void quickly swarmed outside from their rooms, their parents following after.

  Jurot grabbed the shield, feeling the raw magical strength within it. He had seen the shield a few times before. It had been his uncle’s, and had been brought back by his grandfather when he was a boy. “What does it do?”

  “You’ll o meditate with it and I’ll show you.” Adam smirked.

  ‘Meditate with a shield?’ Jurot thought, but he did as Adam asked.

  “He o meditate with it?” Jaygak asked, rubbing her . “That’s quite a rare thing.”

  “Yeah,” Adam replied.

  ‘What kind of shield needs you to meditate with it?” the Iyrmen thought. Even the children, who were excited to watch, thought the same.

  Excitement filled the air, but luckily, there were still some calm minds.

  Sonarot spoke with the young Iyrmen, having Jaygak and the others pass along a message to the nearby Iyrmees. The others then waited, eating snacks as Jurot meditated with the shield.

  Once Jurot was attuo the shield, he held it up, feeling just how powerful it truly was, but he still had no idea how it was used. “How do I use it?”

  “You o will the magic out once you’ve been hit,” Adam said.

  “I s-“ he began, only to be cut off by Adam’s wild strike.

  Attack (Unarmed)Hit!1D6 + 6 = 10 (4)10 damage!

  Adam’s fist flew through the air and struck Jurot i, causing the Iyrman to let out a hiss.

  However, as Jurot was struck, he willed the magic of the shield out, and a thunderous roar echoed from the shield as it shook slightly.

  stitution SaveD20 + 5 = 16 (11)

  Health: 39 -> 30

  Adam grit his teeth as the thunder shattered across his entire body, battering him so hard he almost flew backwards. The thunder rumbled through the air, and Iyrmen from outside began to bolt towards the estate.

  The children gasped, and then began to holler excitedly in their nguage, pointing and boung.

  “Adam, you-“ Jurot began, trying to pliment the half elf on his enting.

  Attack (Unarmed)Hit!1D6 + 6 = 9 (3)9 damage!

  Adam struck the Iyrman again, who coughed from the blow, but he willed the magic again.

  stitution SaveD20 + 5 = 17 (12)

  Health: 30 -> 24

  The other Iyrmen watched as Adam was struck by more thunderous force, their eyes wide. The children tio shriek noisily, g their hands as they watched the force of the thunderous might shoot out.

  ‘It has two charges?’ The Iyrmen thought, staring at the shield in shock.

  Even Sonarot, who had ied a rge amount of funds into the shield, hadn’t expected it to be so powerful.

  “Adam, this-“ Jurot froze up, tensing his body, noting how Adam’s shoulder had twitched, readying to strike him.

  Attack (Unarmed)Hit!1D6 + 6 = 11 (5)11 damage!

  stitution SaveVoluntary failure!

  Health: 24 -> 17

  A third thunderous force bsted from the shield, crashing against the half elf. This time, the muscur half elf was flung back as the thunderous force struck him. He nded on his side and coughed, before the cough turned into ughter.

  There were two things the Iyrme that day.

  The first was that Adam somehow mao ent the shield with three charges of a magical effect, one which was extremely potent. It wasn’t a Thunderwave, but it was still extremely impressive.

  The sed was that he could tank three Thunderwaves back to back, and still sit up and ugh.

  Timojin and Amokan both filled with excitement, but Kitool pced a hand on their shoulders, trying to calm them down.

  The children cheered and cpped excitedly as Adam stood, his clothes torn apart from the force of the magic.

  “Me ,” Turot shouted, quickly rushing up to the shield to try and punch it.

  Adam quickly grabbed the boy. “Now, now, hold on,” he said, holding Turot up in his arms. “You ’t get hit by that.”

  “I ’t?” Turot asked, his body teh excitement.

  “No, it’ll kill you,” Adam warhough the boy would have been safe if he had tried it.

  “Oh,” Turot said, body drooping from disappoi. “You were hit three times. Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” Adam said, brushing the boy’s hair gently. ‘Turot’s w about me? How cute.’ However, his body was full of a deep ache from the stant blows.

  Jurot stared at Adam. “It was not Thunderwave, but its might was simir.”

  “Simir? It’s more powerful,” Adam said.

  Mighty Roar (Shield)Requires AttuYou gain a +1 bonus to your defence when wielding this shield.On a hit by a creature o you, you may and a thunderous force to bst it. The creature must make a stitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 3d6+3 thunder damage and is pushed away from you. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and isn’t pushed.The shield tains 3 charges and regains 1D3 charges every dawn.

  The Iyrmen around, from the parents of the children, the few who had heard the thunderous noise, and Elder Zijin and Elder Gold, who had been informed that Adam had finished enting, all heard the abilities of the shield.

  “It tains an ent to boost my defence, and allows me to cast magid it recharge the magic daily.” Jurot sounded out everything which had been told to him, but even still, he could not believe it.

  “What a wonderful shield,” Sonarot said, bringing Adam in for a tight hug. This shield wasn’t something she had expected. “Are you feeling well after enting?”

  “Just fine,” Adam replied, gng to the side as she tio hug him tight.

  “How much?” Jurot asked.

  “Three times a day,” Adam said.

  “No,” Jurot said. “How much will it e?”

  “Nothing,” Adam replied. “You provided the gems to make it. It probably wouldn’t have been so good without the gems.”

  “You will not charge?” Jurot asked, unsure if he should accept.

  “No.” Adam pced a hand on his shoulder and pat it. “We’re friends, aren’t we?”

  Jurot stared at Adam long and hard, unsure of what to say. He nodded his head.

  “Allow us to at least hand you some mems for enting,” Sonarot said. “Our family isn’t so poor that we ’t do that much.”

  Adam made a sour face, w how he could refuse but he found it difficult to deny Sonarot. “Fine,” Adam said. “I’ll accept some set of gems for one enting.”

  “You won’t ask for more?” Sonarot asked, staring down at him.

  “No,” Adam replied. “You’ve treated me well, and I ’t fet that the shrines pyed such a rge role in how amazing the shield turned out. Plus, the experience I’m gaining from making these shields is going to help me iure, and since Jurot and I will be adventuring, it’ll probably save my life.” Adam shrugged his shoulders. He had said it st time, aill meant it.

  Sonarot sighed. "I'm not sure we accept so much for so little."

  "Why not?” Adam asked. “We're family, aren't we?” He fought off the heat in his cheeks. “Didn't I tell you? I'll definitely protect Jurot until Diamond Rank."

  Sonarot smiled, reag up to brush his hair. "You're much more dependable than I thought. Jurot, what a lovely friend you have. You’ve been talking about adventuring and fighting, and here he is creating such magnifit items for you. Do you know what he's done for you?”

  Jurot flushed red, noting the other people around. "I uand..."

  Adam smiled, only to he appearance of the Great Elder, who had been awaiting outside until she heard the thunderous noise. “What did I do this time?”

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  Adam's an M?

  Also, e on, that's a cool name for a shield.