Chương 311: 296. Sketches Of Life

Omen: 1, 13"Oof," Adam said, pushing his sister up with his stomach as he breathed heavily. Lanarot lay on top of his chest, swaying with each breath. She babbled quietly, before getting up on all fours, staring down at him. She smiled, giggled, and then lay back down on his front, babbling all the while.

"Yeah? You don't say." Adam brushed her hair with a hand. He had trained in the morning lightly, not quite as hard as the day before, and had assisted Nobby with his training. After his bath, he relaxed with Lanarot, who had chosen to lay on him and babbled to him about her worries. Since he had time that day, he decided to spend it with the children. He had been tasked with looking after them, including making sure they were eating and drinking appropriately throughout the day.

He played Warriors and Wanderers with the children, all the while Naqokan was looking after Lanarot, along with the other teens.

"You are serious about this?" Laygak asked.

"Yes," she replied, holding Lanarot's hands as the girl stood, squatting every so often. Naqokan was spending more time with the children recently, understanding her true role as an Iyrman. During their game of Warriors and Wanderers, the group had regrouped and had formed a plan to find the other characters which were missing. However, as they went to follow the tracks they had found, they were beset by a great beast, a Chimera, which had slain half the party, and the other half retreated.

"Does anyone want to play a Mage?" Adam asked.

"I will play," Katool said.

"I will know magic."

"You cannot know magic," Raygak said.

"You are an Ool."

"If Katool wants to know magic in the game, she is allowed to," Adam said, bringing her a sheet, writing down a few spells for her.

"I know magic, so there's nothing wrong with it, is there?"

"No…" Raygak replied, awkwardly. Regrouping with new travellers they had found, those played by the children whose characters had died, they continued to find the nearby sage, who may be able to assist them. With the game done, the children each rolled dice to see who would be able to offer a story next, though those who had already chosen a story were not allowed to roll. During the evening, Lady Elowen and the others came to eat dinner with Adam and the others.

"It has become so lively," Tizgak said.

"I did not expect that our families would receive so many visitors after Jurot began his adventures."

"We have such honoured Guests," Sonarot said.

"A Priest of Wahtu, a Priest of Mahtu."

"A Princess," Kaygak added, looking at the young girl as she showed Adam the piece of meat in her hand, before eating it.

"We came for Adam," Lady Elowen said.

"He had invited us to stay in the Iyr."

"We will always welcome those who have been invited by my Nephew," Sonarot assured. The other families did not have quite so many Guests as they did, and so the adult Iyrmen had to speak with the other families, answering their questions and updating them on the Guests who had arrived. In the Iyr, Guests were treated well. Of course, Adam had changed that definition slightly, encouraging Nobby and the others to work, not that they had to.

Usually Guests would arrive for a short time, and then were either sent away after some weeks if they had no business in the Iyr. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

'I will need to speak with Elder Zijin,' Sonarot thought. She needed to inform the Elder that the others would remain to at least Lanarot's birthday, and perhaps for a little longer. Each group fell into their own conversations, with Adam and the teens playing with the children, who usually played with themselves in the evening, but enjoyed playing with their older Cousins. Omen: 7, 9"Look at you," Adam said, pinching Lanarot's cheeks.

"Aren't you so cute?" Lanarot squealed, laughing with childish glee. She reached up and held Adam's face, squeezing at his jaw and cheek, trying to mimic her older brother.

"I just want to eat you all up," Adam said, kissing her forehead and cheek.

"It's at times like these I wish I had a phone with me." Adam hugged his sister tight in his arms.

"You want to eat your sister?" Vonda asked, wondering if the phrase meant something else.

"It's just a saying," Adam said.

"My little sister is cute enough to eat, aren't you?" Adam blew a raspberry against her neck, causing Lanarot to squirm and squeal in his grasp.

"If only there was a way to…" Adam paused, before turning to look to Vonda.

"Sir Vonda. Can you sketch an image of my little sister?"

"I can," Vonda replied.

"Really? Thank you so much!" Adam smiled.

"I'll pay you whatever you want."

"I do not need your payment," Vonda replied.

"Then take it for your Goddess," Adam said.

"You will bring life to our hearts with your art, or something?" Adam chuckled. Vonda smiled.

"As you wish."

"Actually, can you also draw a picture of Princess Mina? I want them to have pictures of one another since they're such good friends."

'Good friends?' Vonda thought. The pair had barely played with one another, but she supposed Adam did live in his own world.

"If I am allowed to."

"I'll go ask," Adam said, carrying Lanarot away, trying to find where the Guests were. Though White's Grace were Guests of Adam, they also held quite the status, so they were also general Guests of the Iyr, allowing them different freedoms.

"There you are," Adam said, having found them near the Chief's estate.

"Do you have business with us?" Lady Elowen asked. This had been the first time Adam had set out for them.

"Yeah, I was hoping to get permission for something. Sir Vonda's going to be sketching my sister, and I was hoping that she could also sketch an image of Princess Mina."

"Why?" Lady Elowen asked. She didn't want to refuse Adam so quickly, not after all he had done for them. From saving them from Vandra, who was a terrifying foe, to creating the potion from the ingredients that he required to save a friend of his, to then having two powerful Iyrmen accompany them to the north.

"I just wanted Lanarot to have a picture of the friend she had made," Adam replied.

"Since they probably won't remember each other, I wanted them to have pictures of each other." Lady Elowen had known Adam to be a particular type of person. He was terrifying in some ways, and so ridiculous in other ways.

"That is cute," Ylra said.

"Though it is a little difficult."

"A little difficult," Elowen confirmed.

"If you can promise that the image will remain within the Iyr, we can agree to it."

"Sure," Adam said.

"I'll be sure to remind Lanarot that she isn't allowed to take it outside."

"Then I see no reason to refuse," Elowen said.

"Thank you," Adam replied, smiling.

"You hear that, Lanababy? Alright. Should I have Vonda come here, or do you want to hang out with us?"

"We will come," Elowen said, watching Adam lead the way back.

'Cute,' she thought.

'That is a word for Adam too.' Omen: 10, 16 With a decent Omen, Adam decided against working out too hard that day. He reduced his training to half, which was his training for the days in between his heavy training. Smithing Check (Strength) D20 + 6 = 18 (12) Omen: 10, 16 -> 10 16 + 6 = 22 Smithing Check (Constitution) D20 + 6 = 13 (7) Exhaustion: 0 -> 1 Adam had decided to forge a longsword that day, since they were the most popular weapons which were bought. It was a fairly typical longsword, with a basic design.

The handle was wrapped around with leather around the metal, and the guard was slightly curved upwards. He plucked a thread of Fate, allowing Jurot a moment of respite against the onslaught he was receiving, in order to forge the weapon to a decent quality.

'I should figure out an actual stamp for my smithing,' Adam thought. He had made most of his weapons without a stamp, not wanting the weapons to be traced back to him just in case.

"You are no longer making axes?" Zijin asked, having approached after seeing the Half Elf was staring at the newly forged sword with a deep, tired gaze.

"I was going to make axes and stuff for the new project I'm working on, only to realise that I need way more money if I actually want to do it properly." Adam shrugged his shoulders.

"Plus, I need to make weapons for the rest of the group so that they have magical weapons too." Zijin was still not used to Adam's generosity.

"So you are creating weapons to gift?"

"Yeah."

"Have you prepared Turot's gift?"

"Turot's gift?" Adam asked.

"It is Turot's birthday soon."

"Soon? How soon?" Adam asked, surprised. He hadn't heard about Turot's birthday.

"It is the fifteenth," Zijin replied.

"Oh," Adam said, sighing with relief.

"Thankfully it's only the…"

'Hold up.'

"Isn't it the thirteenth today?"

"Yes," Zijin replied.

"Oh, shi-"