318. The Dragon

318. The Dragon

Omen: 16, 17

“You must return quickly tonight,” Sonarot said. “You have been working too hard.”

“Alright,” Adam replied, feeling awkward that Sonarot was still babying him like this. It wasn’t that she was babying him, but that he made it so she felt the need to baby him. ‘I really should take it easy sometimes.’

Mana: 18 -> 16

Enchanting Check

D20 + 7 = 17 (10)

Omen: 16, 17 -> 16

17 + 7 = 24

Adam plucked a Thread of Fate.

A harsh rain fell from the darkening sky. The fishermen had retreated to land, and the vessels at port were well protected by the pier and the walls around.

The captain of one ship, The Jaunty Pearl, kept his hat over his eyes as he lay in is hammock. He had a perfectly usable bed right beside him, but there was something about the gentle rocking of the ship during a terrible storm which calmed his salty heart.

“Captain!” came a shout. “We’ve got customers.”

Customers during a storm? It was an ill omen, but not one which the captain dared to refuse. For if there were customers during a storm, it meant that they were in trouble, and trouble meant heavier pouches.

The ragtag group of exhausted zealots had come aboard the ship, surrounded by all manner of burly looking sailors, each with various tattoos, but there was at least one which was the same, a pearl of black with a scimitar pointed downwards behind it.

The captain eyed up the zealots, noting their dishevelled appearances. No doubt they wanted to leave immediately, but there was business to discuss.

“So, what are you pay-“ the captain began to say, only to be rudely cut off by a heavy pouch, which he caught with ease. He felt how heavy it was, and stared at the young man who had thrown it towards him. ‘This kid looks like shit.’

The young man was heavily injured, but the smile of his face wasn’t forced in the slightest. There was a saying about injured men with smiles on their faces. They were crazy.

“There’s a storm, so I hope it’s a pouch full of gold,” the captain said.

“A storm?” The young man looked up, watching as lightning fell in the distance. Lightning flashed again, causing the sailors to cover their eyes, and the captain looked away, lightning falling across the young man for only a moment.

The young man crackled with lightning, which ran across his body, before disappearing. His wounds had healed, and he looked right as rain, as the captain would say.

“If my family knew that I was stopped by a storm, I’d get bullied,” the young man said. “Now, let’s get out of here before that hungry rat comes and kills you all.”

The captain let out a sigh. Of course it wasn’t going to be that easy. This young man was probably one of those, the dark myths of the strangers which must be accepted at all costs. ‘So it’s like that. The moment we met, I became a target.’

The captain motioned with a hand, and the sailors darted to their positions, and within moments, they were beginning to set sail, with a sailor leaping on board after clearing the business with the port master.

The young man, who had carried the baby the entire way to the ship, looked out towards the land once they were a mile away, and in relative safety. Lightning fell, illuminating the large figure which had been on their heels.

“What are you going to do now, eh, little ol’ Champion? Gonna swim? Fly?” The young man laughed, before crossing his pinkies across one another in an obscene gesture.

The Champion who had been so close, watched as they left on their ship. There was a fisherman’s boat not so far away, but even he didn’t dare to sail, even on a seaworthy vessel, not when it was storming around that young man.

Thus Fate was forever changed.

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

“Will you be heading to Red Oak?”

“Probably,” Adam nodded. “I’m still not hated in the town. Yet.”

“Are you trying to be hated?”

“I’m just a person whose easy to hate,” Adam replied, motioning to his ears. “Especially down south.”

Aizaban slowly bowed her head. “Then I wish you good fortunes, in case you leave before your debt is paid.”

“I always pay my debts,” Adam said. “You can call me Adam Lan...”

“Yes?”

“Nothing, you wouldn’t get the joke,” Adam replied, sighing, shaking his head slowly. “Alright, I should be off then.”

Adam was escorted back to the shared family estate of the Rot family, where he found Lady Elowen and her companions sitting nearby. Princess Mina stomped over to Lady Elowen, showing her the block she was playing with.

“Good evening,” Adam said, waving at the group. “It’s good to see you.” He hadn’t seen them since earlier in the month.

“You as well, Adam,” Elowen replied.

Adam shook their forearms. Last time they had seemed to be completely healed from their original appearance, but this time they seemed much healthier too. Redboulder’s beard had returned, a few inches thick though it hadn’t been long when he had lost it. Somehow his face hadn’t scarred to the point he could no longer grow a beard.

Adam lifted Princess Mina up. “Hello, little Mina,” Adam called.

“Ashashasha!” the girl replied.

“Did you miss me?” Adam asked, feeling a pair of small hands against his trouser legs. He looked down to see Lanarot, who was staring up at the little Princess who was being hoisted up, beginning to groan as she wanted to play too.

Adam placed the Princess down and picked up his sister. “Why are you crying, hmm? Are you jealous.” He kissed the girl’s forehead and brushed her hair. “Silly girl.”

“Sorry we’re late,” Vonda called, appearing with the rest of Adam’s group.

“It is fine,” Sonarot said, greeting the group and guiding them to sit nearby.

Adam sniffed the air, smelling pizza.

‘Weird.’

It was rare to see Elowen and the rest of White’s Grace. It seemed that his own group, Fate’s Golden, had also been invited. Then there was the matter of pizza, which was usually made on special occasions in the Iyr. His eyes fell to the food, which was an assortment of meats and cheese, which meant that Sonarot was the one who had cooked, though it was not the fourth week.

‘Something’s wrong,’ Adam thought, noting Sonarot smiling at him. ‘No. Could it be? Sonarot, have you betrayed me?’

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I'm rereading this chapter and even I have no idea what the ending is about.