429. The Days Between

429. The Days Between

Omen: 1, 7

“So how have you been?” Adam asked, drinking his soup.

“I’ve been well,” Strom admitted, sipping from his clay bottle. He was far thinner than before, and his hands shook at all times. The once sturdy Strom was no longer here, now he was but a dying old man.

“Did you finish up your business?”

“I did, though I didn’t manage to beat him as much as I would have liked,” Strom complained. “I suppose it couldn’t be helped. I should have expected as much considering I fought without my Spark and during the first month of duskval.”

“At least you beat him a little.” Adam wasn’t sure how to deal with the awkward air. Strom’s impending death felt all the more real seeing him like this. There were only a few months left, if Strom’s prediction was to be believed.

“Yes.” Strom smiled. “Now that rat bastard needs a new Champion.”

“A Champion?” Adam asked.

Strom nodded, taking another sip of his drink.

“Wait, what?” Adam sat up straighter, narrowing his eyes. “Who?”

“The Lord of Order.” Strom smiled.

“What?”

“Yes?”

“The Lord of Order?”

“Yes.”

‘What?’ Adam stared at the old man. ‘The Champion of Order?’ smiled.

“You killed the Champion of Order?” Adam asked, trying to confirm what he was hearing.

“No, I was almost killed by him.” Strom sighed again.

“Then who killed him?” Adam asked, confused.

“Stokmar.”

‘Stokmar? The Lord of Earth?’ “Why?”

“He was annoying me, that’s why!” the Dwarven woman said, stomping her way towards the pair, before dropping down between them.

Adam remained silent for a long moment. “You’re Lord Stokmar?”

Stokmar brought her cask of ale to her lips, drinking it for a long moment. “Don’t you recognise my brilliance?”

“I just thought you were a Dwarf,” Adam admitted.

“You thought I was a Dwarf?” Stokmar asked. “Do I look like a Dwarf to you?”

“Yeah.”

Stokmar gave the Half Elf a look, before shaking her head. ‘Treehuggers.’

“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Lord Stokmar.” Adam smiled as politely as he could. The last time they had met, Stokmar hadn’t liked him very much.

“I’m sure it is.”

Adam glanced between Strom and Stokmar. ‘What is my life right now?’ “Do you guys know who that old guy is? Asa?”

“No,” Strom replied, though the name seemed familiar.

“Yes,” Stokmar stated.

“You do?” Strom asked.

Stokmar nodded, drinking from her cask of ale again.

“Who is it?” Adam asked, politely.

“What are you offering?” Stokmar narrowed her eyes.

“What can I offer to you, oh great Lord Stokmar? You have everything one could possibly wish to possess, from grace to beauty!”

Charisma Check

D20 + 3 = 10 (7)

Stokmar winced at his words, and held out a bottle of wine threateningly. “Be gone at once, boy!”

“As you wish,” Adam said, quickly hopping to his feet. He wanted to talk with Strom more, but it was awkward with the Lord of Earth here. ‘Wasn’t Stokmar a guy?’

Adam and his companions remained within the Front Iyr for a week, as was the rule for those who returned. The group had found that the Iyr had expanded further, and there were more Iyrmen around the area, but it was still missing children.

Adam swallowed, Jaygak and Kitool flashing within his mind. “Oh.”

“We have stopped them from decaying, but we wish to know what you wish to do with them.”

Adam frowned, staring at the dead bodies for a long moment. “Why me?”

“I thought it would be best for you to know,” Lykan replied, simply.

“How quickly did you stop them from decaying?” Adam asked.

“Almost immediately.”

“Within a minute?”

“Yes.”

“Okay,” Adam said. “I’ll revive them tomorrow.”

Lykan remained silent. ‘What did he just say?’

“Do Kitool and Jaygak know?”

“They will be informed soon.”

Adam wondered why Lykan had come to him first. “Where’s Sky?”

“He is nearby.”

“I’ll put him in timeout.”

“Timeout?”

“He is going to sit down in one place until I revive the pair, and he...” Adam decided against starving the Awakened Wolf. “I’ll bring him his food and tell him off.”

Lykan wondered why he was so relieved in his heart. ‘Is this why I told him first?’

“Elder Lykan?”

“Yes?”

“About the Goblin children...”

“We will take care of them as Guests within the Iyr,” Lykan assured.

“Will they be okay?”

“We will raise them within the Iyr until we can find them suitable homes with their own kin.”

Adam sighed. “Can’t they stay here?”

“They can,” Lykan replied. “They will be small children of the Iyr.”

Adam narrowed his eyes. “What does that mean?”

“They will not have the full rights afforded to Iyrmen, but they will grow up within the Iyr. They will be fed, and may be trained lightly. They will not be able to step foot out of the Iyr, but they will enjoy themselves within.”

“Sort of like a prison, then?” Adam said. “I mean, not in a bad way. More like nobles in exile?”

“Yes.”

“You’d really look after them?”

“They are children who have stepped foot in the Iyr,” Lykan said. “It is our duty.”

“Don’t some of the Iyrmen complain?”

“Complain about what?”

“You know, that you’re spending resources on strangers rather than your own.” Adam cleared his throat.

“There are no Iyrmen who would complain about their duty. It is not our way.”

Adam slowly nodded his head, smiling slightly. “The Iyr puts other places to shame.”

“It is our way.”

“There are some countries who would drown the children before ever thinking about looking after them.”

Lykan bowed his head, understanding the fact of life. “Yes.”

Adam looked to the dead dire wolves. No, perhaps it was because the Iyr was insane, like him. Adam bowed his head. “Thank you, Elder Lykan.”

“It is our pleasure, Adam.”

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Not Kit'a and Jay'a!