292. Rather Chaotic

292. Rather Chaotic

Omen: 16, 20

“You are feeling lucky today?” Sonarot asked, holding a sleepy Lanarot up.

“Yes,” Adam said. “Very lucky.”

“Shikan was going to ask you for some assistance, but if you are feeling lucky, you should go smith.”

“Was it something important?” Adam asked. “Since it’s smithing, I don’t really mind.”

“You need to smith for your project, yes?”

“Yeah,” Adam replied, rubbing the side of his neck.

“Then you should smith.”

He trained lightly in the morning and played with the children. During breakfast, he fed Lanarot some porridge, who sat on his lap, before letting her eat some fruit.

“You’re growing up so quickly,” Adam said, brushing her hair. “What did I say about growing too quickly?”

Lanarot chewed on the fruit noisily, before looking up at him, sticking some more fruit into her mouth, with the rest of her hand.

Fred stared at the pair for a long while over breakfast, gathering some stares himself. He recalled how they first had met. He was half dying on the hill and Adam came with water and food. He spoke of his little sister, the girl right in front of him. Then Vonda and he had spoken about life, and finding purpose.

‘Purpose,’ Fred thought, before falling deep into thought about the inn. ‘The face of the inn.’

Adam lifted the girl up after she was done eating, the same way Jurot did. He stared up at her, narrowing his eyes. “You think I didn’t notice?”

Lanarot babbled in response, kicking up her legs, before grunting at him.

Adam held her out, glancing aside, trying not to smell the ghastliness which was within her clothy. “Baktu,” Adam coughed, “what the hell are we feeding you?”

Once Lanarot had been taken by her mother, Adam went to find Elder Zijin at the warehouse. “Morning,” Adam called. “I’ve come for some materials.”

“Which materials?”

“The best I can get,” Adam said. “No. Not the best I can get. The best I can get without worry that I will need to hand it back to the Iyr.”

Zijin sighed, but offered him some Iyr steel and Iyr ash. Adam smiled, wondering just how much he should bother Elder Gold.

“Please, Adam,” Zijin said.

Adam took the materials for the axe. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Zijin raised his brows, and Adam retreated away, making his way to the forge. He fired it up and then sat down, looking at the fire.

‘Should I make the same axe she handed over to me?’ He tapped his knee gently. ‘No. I should use the design that Aunt Sonarot gave to me.’

“I...” Dunes began, but he fell silent. He thought about what he should do. He thought about why he had come to Aldland. He thought about how he could complete his goal, and how likely he’d be able to do so travelling with Adam. “I think Adam has enough faith in us, and we should return that faith to him. He moves quickly sometimes, and slowly other times.”

“Yes,” Vonda said. “He’s rather chaotic.”

With a design in mind, Adam understood what he needed to do. This entire month, he was going to forge as many axes he could, with Laygak’s help in making the handles. This axe, however, would not have a handle make by Laygak.

Omen: 14, 19

Smithing Check (Strength)

D20 + 6 = 21 (15)

Smithing Check (Constitution)

D20 + 5 = 13 (8)

Adam had created another axehead which was of acceptable quality. This one, too, would be enchanted as one of the first weapons for the Guards. It was only then that he realised that he should probably enchant other weapons first in order to fund his project.

“God damn it.” For a moment, he thought about enchanting the weapons he made to auction them off. ‘No. They’d be able to trace it back to me.’ He sighed. ‘I can’t believe I’m that stupid.’

He stared at the axehead.

‘No, I definitely can believe it.’

Omen: 13, 19

Smithing Check (Strength)

D20 + 6 = 7 (1)

Omen: 13, 19 -> 13

19 + 6 = 25

A Wolf almost tore into the villager, who had tried to push away the beast with his spear. However, he was too old, and his muscles would not move the way he wanted. Lightning flashed, and an even older man appeared, laughing with such joy, that he may have been a little boy.

“It seems you need some help,” the stranger said. “I’ve come just in time?” He raised a hand, and shooting out from his finger tips came countless bolts of lightning, which flooded the area and killed off dozens of creatures. The lightning arced, bouncing from creature to creature, causing them to wail in pain.

“Wh-what are you?” the old man gasped, staring up at the handsome fellow, who looked between thirty and a hundred at all times.

“I’m just an old man,” he said.

Smithing Check (Constitution)

D20 + 5 = 19 (14)

Omen: 5, 7

With the lack of a decent Omen, Adam spent the day training with the others, playing with the children, and reading to them.

This was how he would spend Nightval. Forging. Training. Playing with the children. Assisting the Iyr.

“Adam,” Sonarot said. “Should you not also play with Sky?”

“Sky?” Adam said. ‘Who the hell is...’ “Oh! Sky!” Adam had completely forgotten about his mount, the Awakened Wolf. ‘Right. I should do that too.’

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Whose this old man shooting lightning and having fun? I'm sure we won't be seeing much more of him...