“If you could give my regards to Larot,” Crowseer said, tipping his hat, bowing his head lightly, Maurice more pulling her head back.

  “I will,” Adam replied. ‘I do at least that much, since you did me a solid.’

  “Ah, and for little Jarot,” Crowseer said, holding out a small smooth stone, almost like a marble. “I picked up this stone during my journey and I thought he would enjoy it.”

  “What about for Jirot?” Adam asked, accepting the stone, noting how de felt, not too heavy, but noticeably heavier than it appeared. It was also as smooth as silk, the half elf rubbing it between his fingers.

  “I will do my best to find something for her during my travels,” Crowseer promised, tipping his hat.

  “You make it sound like we’ll cross paths again…”

  Crowseer smiled from behind his veil, and Adam let out a defeated sigh, watg the back of the Idol as he left. An Idol, like Shama, and Starsword, even though he was sidered far weaker. He was sidered strohan Marmak and Shaool, never mind the Mad Dog. The Idol stopped.

  “You should be careful, Adam.” Crowseer gnced back over his shoulder, holding the brim of his hat once more. “If it was his sister, I wouldn’t have been able to save you.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind, thanks.” Adam watched as the Idol walked off to the horizon, already feeling the chill seeping into him once more.

  “You wao retire here,” Tork said, raising his brows at his brother, sipping the water.

  “I should have prayed before I made the decision.” Mork threw looks towards the rest of the figures around. He could feel the tension in the air, the awkwardness of the vilgers that stared at the group suspiciously. He could see how they kept at a distance from him and his brother, as well as the others of the United Kindom, but especially Adam.

  Jane smiled slightly, uanding how she had been when she had first met Adam only a few months ago. ‘Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.’ She tio lie to herself, half pretending what she had seen had been all a dream. ‘Marshal, I wish you were here.’

  “Executive,” Mork eventually called. “I o plete my prayers in nature, would you apany me?”

  “Sure, Jurot and I will escort you.”

  Mork bowed his head, since Jurot’s presence didn’t ruin his pn. Ohe group had slipped away, a few minute walk away into the forest, Mork stopped. “The air around the vilgers is awkward.”

  “Yeah?” Adam replied, having not uood that Mork wao speak with, but Jurot nodded.

  “You o be careful.”

  “Yeah?”

  “They definitely bme you, so you should be careful.”

  Adam narrowed his eyes, throwing a look to Jurot, who nodded, before the half elf smiled, though it was ay smile. “Thank you, Mork. I’ll be sure to stick with Jurot at all times.”

  Mork nodded, before dropping down to a knee, holding his amulet as he muttered a quick prayer, before standing up. “Thank you for esc me, Executives.”

  “Any time.” ‘What a guy. I should keep him in mind for a magical on sooner or ter.’

  Jurot had also noted all the looks of the vilger, stig to Adam like cquer on wood. As long as Jurot was nearby, the vilgers wouldn’t dare to take a step forward. As they returned, he he look his grandfather gave him, the old mauring, Jurot returning back a gesture, only to realise he had informed his grandfather, the Mad Dog.

  “Adam,” Jurot called, before leading the half elf to speak with Gangak, gesturing towards her.

  “Okay,” Gangak replied, simply. “We were discussing the matter. It would be best for you to return back to the business on the first.”

  “Alright,” Adam replied, before the woman ruffled his hair to distract him from his thoughts.

  “To survive against one of the Thirteen Stars, it is a good story,” Gangak said, beaming with pride down towards the young half elf. “Your children will uand its glory.”

  Adam was gd that his retives were around. The heaviness in his body and mind soothed slightly with their words. In the evening, Jarot accosted the half elf, dragging him away to eat and drink, showing him off to the vilgers. They had partly heard the stories, though hadn’t heard the full story of Adam’s antics from the Iyrmen, who had seemingly downpyed not only their own stories, but also the stories of the half elf. Perhaps, instead, it was Jarot who was overpying the stories, but it was Jarot, who was almost a Demon Lord to many of the travellers who passed through.

  “What should I do?” Jarot asked, opening his jaw wide as he swallowed down the wine, before wiping the little spshed across his lips. “My grandsons are beginning to outshine me. Should I kill another dragon or two?”

  “You do not have enough limbs to sacrifice flory,” Gangak said, reag out for the wineskin, only for Jarot to pull it away. “You should remain and spoil yreatchildren, who miss you.”

  Jarot grumbled quietly, surrendering the wineskin to the woman. He gowards the vilgers, who had listeo his tale, partly out of awe, partly out of fear. “We will see how many fools will try to cim the lives of my grandsons!”

  As though he were a prophet, the old man stood at the gates, eyeing up the singur figure in the distance, approag the vilge from the east. Very few figures could walk around alohrough the forest, even Grandmasters would be wary doing so.

  ‘You damn old geezer! How could you tempt Fate like this?’ Adam reached up to his pounding forehead.

  The figure was a drakken, that was to say, he looked human, save for his horns, which were like two scimitars of bone, and his blue scales. He had greyish blue eyes, and dark hair, almost bck, but with a tinge of blue. He was built with almost like the embodiment of Iyrman efficy, muscur but lean, no muscle too big, nor too small, his muscles just right. He wore fairly simple clothing, slightly worn from travel, with a long cloak that covered most of his body, but carried no ons outwardly.

  ‘Of course it’s a handsome guy,’ Adam dared to joke within his heart. The figure was handsome, like his face had been sculpted out of cy.

  Jurot narrowed his eyes, reising the fellow, though he couldn’t peanwhile, the older Iyrmen exged gnces, but said nothing.

  The figure gnced between the group, noting the Iyrmen, then the demons, then the figure in puthral, and the other Aldishmen about. “Hello.”

  “What brings you to this vilge, stranger?” Chief Terry asked, feeling a bead of sweat drop down the side of his face.

  “The Iyr.”

  “You’re heading to the Iyr?” Chief Terry asked, tensing up as the figure reached into his cloak, rummaging for a moment, before he flicked old .

  “Is that enough for the gate fee for a vilge?”

  “It is.”

  “I spent most of my time in Aswadasad, so I wasn’t sure,” he said, fshing a wild grin. “How much is it for some shelter and food, and if you have any, good drinks, and if you don’t, bad drinks?”

  “A gold for a night’s stay with dinner, and for drinks, a gold for a whole bottle.”

  The figure reached into his cloak once more, before pulling out a small gem. “ you firm whether a gem is real or not?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good, because I prefer to pay in gems for drinks, s fifty to me.” The figure’s eyes fell to the Iyrmen once more, but then the youngsters. His eyes took in the sight of Lucy. “Nice axe.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Where did you get it.”

  “It was a gift.”

  “You received such a fine on as a gift?”

  “Yes.”

  “How did that e to pass?”

  “You o be friends with an idiot.”

  The drakken grinned wider, before his eyes darted to Adam, who squirmed slightly at the words. “So, you’re the idiot?”

  “Well, I wouldn’t say it like that.”

  The figure stepped forward, noting the way the others tensed, but he still stood face to face with the half elf, revealing he was slightly taller than Adam, but about the width of a finger. “Your axe is pretty fioo.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Do you want to bet it?”

  “Well…” Adam gred bato the figure’s eyes, which were so wild, brimming with delight. “Depends o.”

  “I win, I get that axe. I lose, I’ll work for you until the noonval.”

  “Why would I want a loser?”

  “I’m… pretty strong, though?” He grinned wider, tilting his head slightly, in that handsome way that annoyed det folk.

  “How strong?”

  The figure paused, as though he hadn’t expected the question. “I didn’t get into trouble from Aswadasad to the Iyr.”

  “What’s your business with the Iyr, anyway?”

  “I’m looking for… a friend.”

  “A friend? Who?”

  “I’ll tell you once I have that axe, or once I work for you.”

  ‘Who the hell is this guy?’ “What’s your name?”

  “I’m Bael.”

  “Bael?” Adam replied. “That’s a cool name.”

  “Who are you?”

  “I’m Adam.”

  “Adam?” Bael tilted his head slightly, closing his eyes as he tilted his head.

  “Adam Fate.”

  “Huh? Then, do you know of a Jurot.”

  “I am Jurot,” Jurot said, narrowing his eyes once more.

  “So you’re Jurot, and you’re Adam,” Bael said, smiling wider.

  “You sound like you know me, and that I should know you?”

  “Let’s fight!” Bael stated, suddenly brimming with battle lust. “If you want to keep talking, then give me a good fight, otherwise I’ll be disappoihat I’ve e all this way for nothing.”

  ‘What? Did he e for me?’ Adam could see the pyful grin on his face, filled with excitement. “Alright, but instead of this axe, I’ll let you reater Enhanced axe from the Enter. Also, no killing.”

  “I don’t o kill you, I’m just here to fight,” Bael said, pulling back, before stretg out his neck from side to side. ‘He’s just a kid, so I’ll hold back.’

  Adam furrowed his brows. ‘So he just wao fight me? Who the hell is this friend of his?’

  Bael waited for Adam to prepare himself, the half elf swinging the axe around. The axe was dark, and held a powerful entment, that much was for certain. ‘Greater Enhahat’s acceptable.’ Bael also he crimson shield was magical too, holding a Greater entment upon it. ‘Do all kids of the Iyr own so many magical ons? Ah, no, they’re too big to be kids, so they’re adults, aren’t they? So they’re… twenty to fifty years old? No, they get wri forty or fifty, right?’

  While Bael tried to uand the situation he was in, Adam tried to uand the situation he was in. It was after a sihought he realised it was futile, and all he o do was swing his axe.

  “Hey, Bael, you ready?”

  “Ah.” Bael held up his hand, before being Adam towards him. “Go ahead.”

  “Okay.” Unfortunately for Bael, Adam had held the axe whice beloo Jarot. It was not just any axe, but an axe he got to use o year.

  Battle OrderD20 + 1 = 16 (15)

  Fighting Spirit: 3 -> 2

  Attack: Phantom (Advantage)D20 + 10 = 11 (1)D20 + 10 = 25 (15)Hit!Phantom: 3 -> 2Mana: 25 -> 24Ability: Divine Smite2D6 + 3D6 + 2D6 + 9 = 35 (3)(16)(7)35 damage!

  Attack: Phantom (Advantage)D20 + 10 = 15 (5)D20 + 10 = 25 (15)Hit!Phantom: 2 -> 1Mana: 24 -> 23Ability: Divine Smite2D6 + 3D6 + 2D6 + 9 = 29 (6)(10)(4)29 damage!

  Adam trated as he stepped forward, and allowed his body to move as it pleased. The pair cshed, with Bael defending himself using his body, managing to stop the heavy blows with his forearms, but the divine magic fshed through him, and the magic assaulted his mind. Adam had dealt enough damage to knock out a typical Expert. but as a trickle of blood fell out of Bael’s he drakken grinned wider.

  “Oh,” Bael said, feeling the warmth flowing down from his nostrils, his eyes wide almost as wide as his smile, full of sheer delight. “I didn’t realise you were s!”

  ‘Eh?’ Adam thought as Bael wound up his ched fist, stepping forward to y a beat down on the half elf with the rgest grin on his face.

  The ce of one of these three figures appearing was tiny. The ces all three appeared so quickly, is ridiculous. The amount of hype I've held because I rolled these enters could not be tained, but unfortunately, it'll pay off in about 1000 chapters.