633. A Storm Of Trouble IV

633. A Storm Of Trouble IV

Adam’s face was like a stone, neutral and unmoving. ‘Jaygak. You’re the best. I’m not going to bully you for at least the rest of this month.’

Jaygak’s smirk was wide, the widest it had ever been, all the while Lord Stokmar guzzled down the barrel of ale she had brought along. ‘Now I can bully you harder, at least until your children’s birthday.’

“Did you bring only one?” Lord Stokmar asked, finishing the barrel. It was fine enough for her taste, though she wondered if they had also brought her a sweet wine to wash down the taste.

“Apologies, Lord Stokmar, there were quite a few things which ended up happening on our journeys,” Adam replied, bowing his head lightly, frowning. “Speaking of which, I should probably speak with the Chief.”

“Just what happened that you dared to ignore my wants?”

“Well...” Adam looked to Jurot.

“We met a Divine,” Jurot stated, causing the many great figures to turn their gazes on the Iyrman and his companions.

Lord Morkarai remained silent, not daring to speak out of turn in front of someone like Lord Stokmar. Lord Morkarai was called Lord Morkarai in the Iyr because he was a Prince, and there were no Princes in the Iyr. However, Lord Stokmar was called Lord because they were a Lord of Earth, and perhaps not a Lord of Earth, but the Lord of Earth. Morkarai’s own father, the King of Fire Giants, the strongest of his people, wouldn’t dare to claim the title of Lord of Flames, so the Prince understood the difference between himself and Lord Stokmar.

Even so, all he could think was the same as many of the Iyrmen about.

‘Of course he did.’

“Why are you all looking at me like that?” Adam asked, noting the Dragons slyly glancing his way, the way the Lord of Earth eyed him, and the Iyrmen staring. “This time it wasn’t even my...” Adam paused, thinking back to when he met the Goddess. ‘Oh, wait. I think it was my fault.’ “Just this one time, maybe it was my fault.”

The various figures, from the Dragons, to the pair of Lords, and even the Prince of Fire Giants, wondered why exactly the Iyrmen allowed him to walk around freely, even if they did surround him with several Iyrmen.

“Anyway, it’s not like that’s the most important thing anyhow,” Adam said. “Meeting a Lesser God while being surrounded by great wondrous figures, it’s not exactly, you know... special. I mean, I’ve met with Lord Stokmar several times, so meeting someone like Ulaveil isn’t something out of the ordinary for me, especially in comparison to the Lord of Earth’s majesty.”

Charisma Save

D20 + 3 = 20 (17)

“It is always the Divine’s fault,” Lord Stokmar confirmed, allowing the matter to rest. “I will forgive you this time.”

‘Lord Stokmar, you’re truly the best,’ Adam thought. “I thank you for your grace.”

“Where did you procure that amulet?” the Lord of Earth asked.

“This amulet? It was gifted to me by Baktu.”

“Would you be willing to come to my children’s first birthday?” Adam asked. “Jirot and Jarot will be turning one soon.”

The others paused, wondering what Adam was up to. Even he could feel the tension in the air, and yet he asked about such a ridiculous thing?

“Why would I want to come and visit your children on their birthday?”

“Because they’re cute,” Adam replied, simply. ‘Ah, right.’ “I hear that you’re... not opposed to Goblins, so...”

‘Adam, what are you doing?’ Morkarai thought, glancing down towards the Half Elf. ‘Do I speak up? No, Lord Stokmar will probably beat me.’

Stokmar still wasn’t used to this sort of audacity. The stupid, queer, Half Elven kind of audacity. The audacity of a young man who had lost his family twice, and now doted upon them too much. He reminded her of Hadda in that respect, and it was no doubt why the Half Elf got along so well with the Emperor before he passed.

Stokmar’s eyes passed to Jurot, who had spoken up about his family, and to Adam, who had spoken up about his family too. In some sense, the pair were so different, and in another sense, they were almost the same.

“I will spare a moment if there is something good to drink,” Stokmar said.

“I’m not sure there will be alcohol at my children’s birthday,” Adam admitted. “I will see what I can do. They have a... I have a...” Adam paused, trying to understand what Rajin was to him. “There’s a Family Elder, Rajin, who seems to know his way around making drinks.”

“I have heard of this one,” Stokmar confirmed, recalling the sour wine the Horcish Iyrman would sometimes bring. “His drinks are acceptable.”

Uwajin nodded her head slowly, throwing a smirk to Naqokan. It was certainly her grandfather who had the best wine in all of the Iyr, and Lord Stokmar’s praise was a great honour to his name.

‘Damn, am I going to have to marry into the Jin family?’ Adam thought. ‘No, the old geezer will throw a fit and stop it for sure. He won’t let me go so easy, not when he loves my Jirot and Jarot so much.’

Adam huffed, making a face, startling most of them. “I can’t believe it!”

“What?” Jurot asked.

“Their babo won’t even be there for their first birthday,” Adam stated, firmly. “How can he do this to them?”

“Grandfather is bringing them great honour for fighting in the war,” Jurot said. “It will only add to his name.”

“He better win,” Adam stated. ‘Old man, how can you miss their first birthday when you’re the one that helped them the most?’ “Otherwise I’m going to...” Adam paused, thinking about his chances of winning against him with Wraith. “I’m going to sternly speak with him.”

‘Should I just kill him?’ Stokmar thought.

Cringe.