[792] – Y03.092 – Vonda of Life’s Rose IV

[792] – Y03.092 – Vonda of Life’s Rose IV

Vonda let out a sigh of relief as the knight retreated. She had felt the intense aura of the knight as she readied to fight, and Adam’s eagerness to do the same, the young half elf’s hand clutching his amulet. Vonda was vaguely aware of her mace at her side, glad she did not need to draw it that day.

‘Thank you for watching over us, Mother Soza,’ Vonda prayed, her heart filling with relief.

“I knew I shouldn’t have accepted your gold,” the inn keeper said, huffing out. “You can take back your gold, and you should leave at once.”

“Keep the gold,” Adam said, rubbing the side of his neck. “We have bothered you tremendously, so you should at least get paid for it. Manager Dunes, will you procure a few carriages for us?”

“Of course,” Dunes replied, smiling innocently.

“Jonn, please escort the Manager,” Adam said, glancing to the side to find Jonn wasn’t about. ‘...’

The half elf was found and he escorted the Aswadian away, while the children were gathered again, most of the upset they had to move again.

Adam took Cobra to the side to speak with her privately. “What’s so special about Alex that even a Marquise wants him?”

Cobra stared at him for a long moment. “Why do you have to ask the obvious?”

“If it was obvious, I wouldn’t have to ask,” Adam replied, rubbing the side of his neck again, his forehead pulsing again. “After all I’ve risked for you, you should at least speak openly.”

“Alex is gifted.”

“Did you not see me threaten the knight of a Marquise?” Adam asked. “Say it properly, otherwise I’m going to lose my damn mind.”

“Alex is a...” Cobra’s voice went as low as it could to barely still be audible, “Sorcerer.”

Adam waited, raising his brows. “Yeah, and?”

Cobra furrowed her brows in confusion.

“So he knows magic and that’s why they want him?”

“He’s a Sorcerer,” Cobra repeated, still whisper quiet.

“Right?”

Cobra furrowed her brows again, her eyes full of confusion. ‘What’s he doing?’

“Could you call Manager Vonda, please?” Adam asked, stretching his head this way and that, feeling the annoyance build up deep within him.

“Are you okay, Adam?” Vonda asked.

“I’m fine,” Adam replied, still stretching out his neck. “Cobra said that Alex was a Sorcerer.”

Vonda’s brows raised in uncharacteristic alarm, her eyes darting over towards the children, taking in the sight of the young boy. “That certainly explains the Marquise’s actions.”

“It does?”

Vonda’s eyes fell onto Adam. She had almost forgotten Adam was from elsewhere. “Sorcerers were hunted down within this land.”

“Oh,” Adam replied, before vaguely recalling something along those lines. “Right, yeah.”

“A Sorcerer’s powers are chaotic, and are seen as dangerous.”

“Most magic is dangerous,” Adam replied. “Why are Sorcerers so special?”

“No it’s not!”

Fred unstrapped the belt and held out the blade, keeping his fingers around the handle so they couldn’t pull it out. One of the children reached out for it, before shuddering as they felt the gentle tingle of magic, before pulling back, their eyes wide, their mouth forming a small circle in utter shock.

The other children reached out for the blade, feeling the tingle of magic, each of them acting in similar shock and excitement. George also placed a hand against it, before pulling back in shock too, his eyes glued to Fred. As far as he knew, Fred didn’t hold any rank within the business, since Adam specifically used titles to refer to the business members.

“Have you killed a bear?” a child asked.

“I’m sure I have,” Fred replied. “Bears and wolves and the like.”

“You can’t kill a wolf,” a child said. “Wolves have so many, they’re a big pack, so wolves are hard to kill.”

“That’s right, but I’ve killed wolves before. I’ve even fought a hydra.”

“What’s a hydra?” a child asked.

“It’s the one with the heads,” another replied. “It’s got lots of heads, like, like, ten, or seven.”

“Whoa!”

“You can’t have seven heads, that’s too many. I’ve only got the one!”

“Hydras can have more heads because they’re hydras, dummy.”

“Yeah, hydras have lots of heads, and they come back when you cut them, but they don’t if you cut them real good.”

“No, that’s not right, that’s trolls. They have generation.”

“Trolls only have one heads!”

“No, they, yeah they have one head, they have generation.”

“Do hydras have generation?” a child asked Fred.

“They do, that’s how their heads come back, but you can stop the regeneration with fire, just like trolls,” Fred replied.

“Fire stops regenation?”

“It stops regeneration for both trolls and hydras,” Fred confirmed.

“Have you fought a troll?”

“Yes.”

The children gasped, before showering Fred in awe and more excited questions. Fred could still feel the piercing awe of the boy beside him, and suddenly the children didn’t think about how much they didn’t want to go to the next inn, not when there was such a great hero beside them.

A warm, tingly sensation filled Fred. He sometimes felt the feeling when the Iyrmen children would ask him questions, but they were surrounded by monsters. To these children, he was like the Iyrmen, a powerful figure who was awe inspiring, which would fuel their dreams of heroism.

A thought passed through Fred’s mind, and his eyes fell across the young half elf who had adopted him into the business. Suddenly, Adam was not the ridiculous figure who was utterly insane.

No, Adam made all the sense in the world.

Adam was a father.

Oh dear. I hope the Marquise doesn't bother them...