393. Okay II
On: 7, 16
Adam awoke in the morning, holding Lanarot to his chest. She snoozed lightly, her chest expanding with each small breath. He stared at the ceiling, deep in thought. Though he had not dreamt ever since he had died, he slept with dread, which was only kept at bay thanks to Lanarot’s tiny, warm hand which held his finger.
Lanarot groaned awake, before looking up to see her brother. Her sleepy, confused eyes stared at him for so ti, before she smiled. She squealed quietly before she rested her head against his chest again.
“Good morning, Lanababy,” Adam whispered, brushing her hair. He tickled the back of her head.
The girl squealed and babbled up towards him, before pushing herself onto all fours, staring down at him again. She sat down on his stomach, looking at down at his face, her hands on her thighs.
It was her power stance.
“…” Adam stared at her, silent.
She smiled.
“I can’t believe you’ve done this.”
Adam changed her clothy, applying the lotion mixture of the Iyrn to the girl, before wrapping the next clothy around her waist. “You slly girl,” Adam whispered, glancing around to see whether the Iyrn had heard him.
He quickly bathed, before assisting the Iyrn with their cooking, today helping the Gak family, who were cooking a main pot, and a small pot to the side. Adam made Lanarot’s food that morning, scrambled egg, with so cut up salya, the Iyr’s banana.
“Cousin Adam,” Turot called, his eyes pleading Adam.
Adam could feel it, the gazes of the Iyrn children all about him. They had been excited to continue Warriors and Wanderers, but Adam had work to do, as well as to assist Churot’s Awakening. However, he had given so much favour to Lanarot today, so they were probably feeling left out.
“I’ll think about it in the evening, okay?” Adam replied, thinking about what he should do. He could play with them a little before eting Churot, he supposed.
Adam grabbed the black axe, before stepping out of the shared family estate, making his way out.
“Elder Zijin is calling for you,” called a voice from behind him, causing Adam to tense up.
He slowly turned around to see a young Iyrman, adorned in the noonval clothing of the Iyrn. Adam remained quiet in thought. ‘I didn’t do anything that could get killed, right?’
“Good morning, Adam,” Elder Zijin said, seeing the Half Elf before him. He smiled, offering Adam so snacks from a paper tray.
‘Oh no.’
“You are not in danger,” Elder Zijin assured.
“Alright,” Adam said, sitting down before the Elder, accepting the fried dough snacks which were lightly salted. “So, uh, what’s up?”
“It has been so ti since we spoke on matters outside of business,” Zijin said.
The Iyrman who had escorted Adam remained silent. ‘What?’ She was wondering what the Elder was up to. Did the Elder really call Adam just to talk?
“Yeah?” Adam replied.
“How are you?”
“I’m alright,” Adam replied.
“If you need to speak with soone, you can always speak to Sonarot or I.”
“Yeah?” Adam furrowed his brows. “What’s this about.”
Elder Zijin motioned with his hand, dismissing the other Iyrman. “Jarot ca to last night. He said that sothing happened. Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” Adam replied. “I’m… okay.”
“What happened?”
“Just, I was reminded about sothing I hadn’t thought about.”
“Have you really died twice previously?”
“Yeah. I inford the Chief about it.”
“You are afraid that you’ll die a third ti?”
“No,” Adam replied.
“Is this in relation to how you knew so much about the Iyr?”
“Yeah.”
Elder Zijin remained quiet for so ti. “When my niece was five, she reached for my tusk and tried to break it. What a silly girl she was, for she was too weak at the ti. Perhaps now, she would have been able to break it. Before she left she asked to wrestle , but I told her it was inappropriate for an Elder to beat a child.” Zijin smiled at his joke, before fiddling with a snack between his fingers.
Adam smiled too. It sounded like sothing he would have said too.
“When I heard that she was surrounded by crumbled statues, I was glad she was given a good death,” Zijin admitted. “Though I miss her, I am at ease. Baktu has claid her soul, and she will enjoy herself in the Life Beyond.”
Adam slowly nodded his head. “Are you okay, Elder Zijin?”
Zijin nodded his head slowly. “Adam.” He paused for a mont.
“Yeah?” Adam replied, after a long mont of silence.
“We Iyrn do not forget.”
Adam slowly nodded his head, though his eyes were full of confusion.
“We remain distant to outsiders, and even to our own, but it is for the Iyr’s safety. However, we do not forget. We always pay our debts. There are tis we do not thank you with our words, but we always repay our debts. Even if it is frustrating, please understand, this is how the Iyr works.”
“Yeah,” Adam said, nodding his head. He vaguely understood what the Elder was getting at, and he was hoping it was what he thought. “I’m much freer with my thanks, my words, but I’m also more upfront about showing it too. I don’t forget that the Iyr is looking after my adorable little sister. I still don’t know how the Iyr works, or how you view the relationship between and her, and and Jurot, but that doesn’t really matter to . You’ll look after Lanarot as one of yours, and I’ll look after her as one of mine. As long as you keep doing that, I don’t really need much more.”
“I hope our next conversation is not so dark,” Zijin said.
“Every ti I hear you or a Great Elder wants to talk to , my heart skips a beat. I always think I’m one bad day away.”
Zijin smiled. “We will warn you, you have no need to worry about that.”
“I appreciate that.”
Zijin decided against asking questions. “Please, take the snacks with you.”
Adam nodded, accepting the small paper tray of snacks. “Thanks for the talk, Elder Zijin.”
“Thank you, Adam,” Zijin said, watching the Half Elf go.
Adam stopped. “Elder Zijin?”
“Yes?”
“Say, if I make a secret deal with Elder Gold, do you think she’ll keep her word?”
“Yes,” Zijin replied.
“Even if it’s against the Iyr’s rules?”
“If she has promised.”
“What if a new Elder Gold takes her place? Will they keep the deal too?”
“Yes,” Zijin replied, firmly. “The Iyr never forgets.”
Adam nodded, and left again, sighing with relief. He was glad the Elder had spoken to him. If he did die, then Lanarot would be well taken care of.
Mana: 18 -> 15
Enchanting Check
D20 7 = 8 (1)
On: 7, 16 -> 7
16 7 = 23
Intelligence Save
D20 5 = 12 (7)
Failure!
Health: 65 -> 41
Adam plucked a Thread of Fate, causing the baby to sigh, and thus Fate was forever changed.
“Oof!” Adam groaned in pain, feeling the onslaught of magic against his mind. He shook his head, rubbing his temples.
“Are you okay?” the Iyrman beside him asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Adam replied, grabbing the dark axe, before making his way to the Rot family estate.
Churot held his book, but his eyes were glued to Adam.
“I just ca by to say that I won’t be able to do it tonight, but if you want, you can co and join us for so Warriors and Wanderers?”
Churot’s eyes were full of disappointnt. “Okay.”
“Sorry, it’s just that I’m getting so kind of magical sickness. I won’t even be able to enchant tomorrow either, even if I was lucky.” Adam sighed.
Adam took Churot, and Jarot, to the shared family estate. Dinner was still in progress, so the trio joined the group to eat. He lifted up Lanarot first, who was eagerly eating her bit of bread.
“You can’t just eat only bread, Lanababy,” Adam said, feeling the looks of the other Iyrn. He also felt another set of looks, those from the patient, and expectant, younger Cousins.
“Yes,” Adam finally said to them. “How can I refuse my adorable little Cousins?”
Jarot watched as Adam set up the ga, all the while Churot was reading a sheet full of spells, since he had chosen Scribe Mage. Saygak remained beside him to help, showing which spells he had taken.
“So, you look out to the north, where the bandits had ran away,” Adam began.
“No,” Taygak said. “West.”
“North is manticores,” Turot said, giving Adam a look which the Half Elf had beco accustod to.
“Right, I was just checking,” Adam said, scratching out the directions in his notes. “Well done. So, on the way west, you find a new traveller, one adorned in dark robes.”
“Necromancer?” Katool asked.
“No, sothing far more terrifying. An Iyrman!” Adam gasped.
The children sat up straighter. “You said there were no Iyrn.” Turot narrowed his eyes.
“It was just a joke,” Adam replied, smiling. “It’s Churot’s character.”
Churot began to describe his mage, but Taygak gasped, causing him to stop. Taygak pointed at him. “Doppelganger!”
“No!” Adam quickly piped in. “He’s not a doppelganger, I promise.”
“You said it was aunt Sonarot and cousin Jurot last ti,” Raygak accused.
“Well, it was cousin Jurot, but aunt Sonarot was indeed a doppelganger that ti,” Adam agreed. “This ti, I promise, as your Cousin Adam, that Churot is not a doppelganger.”
“Okay,” Taygak said.
Adam smiled. It was fun to tease his little Cousins. He wondered if he should make Churot a doppelganger, but he had promised. ‘He could just be an evil necromancer who will betray the party eventually…’
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I didn't realise we were at 390 . Slice of life arc is already ending...
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