12. Boars, More

12. Boars, More

As Adam waited, he could see how the colours passed the trees, before another set of brown and grey appeared, moving in the same direction.

“Two?” Adam whispered.

“Yes,” Jurot said.

Adam turned back to the cousins. “Drop the ‘quin and grab your javelins.”

‘Did he say ‘quin to be cool?’

‘Seems like it.’

The pair accepted the task, gently placing down their palanquin silently, before grabbing the javelins at their side. They each had three javelins, though one would have been their preferred amount.

Adam turned from looking at them to looking at Jurot, only to find him gone, vanished out of existence. It was like he had never existed the first time. ‘What?’ He blinked, half thinking the Iyrman had been a figment of his imagination. He looked around, only spotting Jurot further ahead, stalking the boars like a panther. He had donned his shield on his left hand, but held out a javelin in his right.

Adam blinked. ‘Wow, did he really leave me along to go and fight the boars without me?’ He stepped forward, hearing the gentle jangling of his armour, before stopping. ‘Oh, right.’

Battle Order

D20 + 1 = 10 (9)

Jurot gripped his javelin tight in his vice grip, thinking about whether to rage. ‘No, there is no need.’ He had given the others enough time to prepare, and so he tossed the javelin with all his might. The javelin whistled through the air, striking a boar square in its hind leg, causing it to squeal. The squeal marked the moment when they could no longer prepare.

Jurot returned to Adam, though was followed closely by the two boars charging after him.

Attack

D20 + 5 = 14 (9)

Hit!

1D6 + 1D3 + 4 = 9 (4)(1)

9 damage!

Adam readied himself as two more javelins whistled past him, though one of them barely missed his helmet, causing him to duck aside slightly.

“Sorry,” one of the cousin’s said, though he wasn’t sure which.

One javelin struck a tree nearby, splintering the wood, whereas the other struck against the wounded boar’s side. The boar squeal wildly in pain, and stumbled over it as it continued its charge.

Adam, seeing that the boars were already close, and with the fear of Jurot falling in combat against the boars, leapt forward, drawing his sword.

Adam skewered the boar as it charged forward, his blade piercing through the skull and falling out the other end. “Ra!” Adam exclaimed like a savage beast, feeling his heart pound. There was something about being on the receiving end of a charge which filled a man with vigour and a touch of fright.

Just a touch.

The other boar shifted its momentum towards Adam, aiming to gorge this man of metal. Adam pulled his sword, carrying the dead boar with it, but then side stepped as he let the dead boar slip, tripping the charging boar. He had wanted to use the dead boar a shield, but realised they didn’t want to damage the boar too much, otherwise their pay would be affected by the poor quality.

Jurot drew his axe in a fluid motions, hacking into the back of the boar, before stepping around it so it couldn’t flee. He didn’t feel the need to rage at the moment, as Adam was the one who was currently taking its attention.

Attack

D20 + 5 = 18 (13)

Hit!

1D6 + 1D3 + 4 = 8 (3)(1)

8 damage!

Two more javelins flew past Adam again, though only one of them found purchase in the creature’s side. The poor creature cried out in pain as the javelin struck through from one side to the other. Adam winced slightly, hoping that he could put it out of its misery. Taking a blow from both Jurot and another, and yet still not falling? What a tough little thing.

With a heavy blade in his hand, Adam pierced through the boar’s skull, pushing through to the other side. This time he saw the life fade from the creature’s eyes as it slumped, dead. He pulled his blade out, seeing the red of the blood and the bits of brain matter.

‘Eugh.’

Victory!

Boars

+40XP

XP

120 -> 160

He wiped his blade on the grass nearby, trying to clean it. All the while, the two porters began their real work. They grabbed their javelins, and Jurot went to grab his too, before they placed the boars into the palanquin.

“That was easier than I expected,” Adam said, using his Tricks to clean his blade properly.

“We can slay some more,” Jurot said.

“Did anyone get hurt?” Adam asked, glancing around at them all.

“No,” Remy said.

“We kept out of the way.” Jeremy and Remy exchanged high fives between one another.

Jurot shook his head. “We were fortunate.”

“I guess we can slay more then. I didn’t really spend any magic during that fight either.”

‘Magic?’ The cousins looked at him.

“I will find more tracks,” Jurot said, also unfulfilled by this fight. The boars had been smaller than the boar from the previous day, and were in no way fun to slay.

Once the porters were done pulling up the boars, they lifted up their palanquin with ease, huffing slightly.

“It’s the first week of First Dawn, but during the second and third weeks, the undead begin to rise.”

Adam continued to blink at Jurot behind his helmet. “I see...” He had no idea what Jurot was talking about. ‘The undead rise? I don’t remember this. Well, except for that one time...’ Yet as he thought about what Jurot said. “The undead rise yearly during the second and third weeks?”

“That’s right.”

“Jurot.”

“Yes?”

“When did you leave the Iyr?”

“A month ago, before the Beast Wave.”

“Right. A month ago. Before the...” Adam blinked again. He shook his head. “Did you say Beast Wave?”

“Yes.”

Adam kept blinking. His brain kept restarting, as though his brain was crashing with every word coming from Jurot’s lips. “Right, uh...” He wasn’t sure what he should ask about. There were so many things he wanted to ask, but he wasn’t sure where he should start. “Anyway, your mother... did she...” Adam wasn’t sure how to ask this politely. “Did she... eat more food before you left the Iyr?”

Jurot squinted his eyes to think. “Yes. Mother made sure to build herself stoutly for strength! She said she needed to recently in order to bear the hope of the future.” He nodded his head.

Adam chuckled. “I see. Right. How about we go and slay a boar and offer it to your mother?”

Jurot nodded his head. “That is a good idea.”

“Should we go soon?”

Jurot shook his head. “No. We will be needed to deal with the undead.”

Adam wondered how he could get Jurot to take him to the Iyr. “What about clearing up the undead on the way to the Iyr?” It was the best logic he had. ‘Come on, Jurot...’

“We can do that,” Jurot replied. ‘Adam son of Fate, why are you so eager to go to the Iyr?’ He paused for a moment, staring into Adam’s eyes. “There are small village communities on the way to the Iyr. Usually a few Iyrmen are sent to assist.”

“Then we can support them on the way, and celebrate the fact you’ve become an adventurer.”

“A Copper Rank adventurer is no high feat for an Iyrman.”

“Oh?” Adam leaned in. “Perhaps not to an Iyrman, but isn’t that only because you were born in the right place at the right time? Random villagers would find it difficult. Are you telling me that Jurot son of Surot won’t even return to his home to pay his gratitude to his family for raising him so well now that he’s taken the first step to being a great warrior?”

Persuasion Check

D20 + 4 = 18 (14)

Jurot pursed his lips together and looked aside, slightly ashamed with how Adam had put it. “I should return to the Iyr soon.”

“Right.” Adam chuckled.

‘Wow, he is truly evil to the Iyrman.’

‘Seems like it.’

“Should we bring a few people along?” Adam asked.

‘Oh no!’

‘Don’t ask us!’

“I will speak with my uncles,” Jurot nodded his head.

“Right, they should also be thanked for their hard work too.” Adam sighed. ‘That was easy.’ He sighed a little deeper. ‘Though I should probably level quickly, but if we take too long, we might miss the birth.’ The anxiety of death loomed over Adam still. “Should we go tomorrow?”

“We can. It would be best to go when the undead begin to rise. Once they rise, we can be sent out to the villages on the way back through the guild.”

“Alright. I’ll let Emma know once we get back with these boars.”

Jurot nodded his head. ‘I still need to keep an eye on you. Is this a good idea? No, it would be best to speak with the elders once I return.’

With that, Adam's first steps were decided. He had to make sure that Sonarot and Lanarot we're safe. Since things had changed, that meant that the situation back in the Iyr could be worse. If something was wrong with Lanarot’s birth... Adam shook his head, looking away. ‘Enough! There’s no need to think about things like that...’

‘Suspicious!’

He had to make sure that Sonarot and Lanarot we're safe.

It seems the author has raised a pair of death flags.