Chương 586: 549. Questing Again I

Omen: 9, 19"I can go," Jaygak said, as the two groups began to prepare themselves.

"They could find my support useful."

"Jaygak," Adam began, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Do you want me to die?"

"What?"

"You know how precarious the situation is. You know how badly they want to kill me. Do you want to give them more of a reason to want to kill me? They'll look at me and say, Adam, you did not allow Jaygak her glory, so now you must die." Adam frowned. Jaygak blinked at the Half Elf.

"You don't think I want to go? Of course I do, but I know if I go with them, chances are, I'll get them killed. Fred and Jonn will do well enough, and I'll pray for their success."

"Adam is right," Dunes said.

"I appreciate your concern, but we should be safe. We will move along with other adventurers if we must." Jaygak frowned, but allowed them to talk her out of it. She had thought she would be useful to them, far more useful than fighting in a tournament which she had no chance of winning, and a very low chance of placing. The groups made their way out, Dunes heading up north, and Adam's party heading westward along the southern river. Adam was still plagued by how he hadn't done much for Dunes.

He sighed, wondering how he could help the Aswadian. There was the whole issue of the tournament, but the tournament was mostly a selfish desire for him and his Iyrman companions.

"Okay?" Jurot asked.

"Yeah," Adam replied, sighing.

"I'm fine." Jurot could tell Adam wasn't telling the truth, but he didn't take it as Adam lying, but rather Adam trying to figure things out. The group began to make their outpost for the evening, creating it near the river. There was no protection afforded to them by the vast plains, and finding proper wood was slightly difficult, causing them to spread out further than expected.

The Iyrmen made sure to plant whatever seeds they could, which would grow into great trees, expected to tower over them within a handful of years. Adam summoned his towers and then checked on the barrels of food and water, covering them with a tarp to protect them. He looked to Vonda, wondering if he should speak with her about her spells.

"Adam," Jurot called, looking out to the distance.

"What is it? What do your Iyrmen eyes see?" Adam asked, looking out to where Jurot was looking. Perception Check (Advantage) D20 + 4 = 14 (10) D20 + 4 = 7 (3)"A noonval elk," Jurot said, pointing towards a shadow far in the distance, which was a dark tan, matching the rest of the plains during the evening.

"Do you wish to slay it?"

"Is it a good fight?"

"Yes," Jurot replied.

"Should we go kill it?"

"Yes. It is worth great coin and may contain a core."

"Then let's go," Adam said, grabbing his shield.

"We should take it, you and I," Jurot said, donning his own shield.

"Hmmm," Adam said, looking out to it.

"Alright."

'Bell, would the XP be only shared between us then?' [It can.] Adam narrowed his eyes.

'Nah, might as well share it between us all.' [Okay.] The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

'What do you think? Could I take it alone?' [Most likely.]'Nice.' Adam wondered if he should speak to Bell more, to speak of his worries. However, he wondered if giving too much to Bell would end up being a bad idea.

'It can't be too bad if I just casually chat with him, right?'

"I'll come too," Jaygak said, strapping her shield on.

"You can stay here, Jaygak," Adam said.

"If something happens to us, you're in charge."

"I am?" Jaygak asked, the surprise in her voice almost overwhelming.

"Of course," Adam replied simply.

"Why wouldn't you be?"

"Wouldn't Sir Vonda be better than me?"

"Maybe, but I don't trust her as much as I trust you," Adam said.

"She's no Iyrman." Jaygak's lips twitched slightly. She was overwhelmed with complex emotions, both happy and sad about what Adam had said.

"Okay."

"Though, I suppose maybe we should bring the teens along so they can watch?" Adam asked.

"Alright, Jaygak, you can lead the teens. If something happens to us, you can lead them to fight."

"Okay." Jaygak, Zeus, and the teens followed after Adam and Jurot, though moved towards one side so they could see the fighting more clearly. The noonval elk looked up towards Jurot and Adam, who could see it more clearly now. It looked like a giant elk, like Zeus, but Adam could see the very faint cracks within its antlers, the gentlest of glows leaking from within.

"What a big girl," Adam whispered, reaching for Wraith, feeling the cool tingle of magic run through him. Jurot held Phantom in hand, and the noonval elk glanced between the pair, and then the other creatures off to one side. It stepped aside, so that Adam and Jurot were between it and the others. It slammed a hoof into the ground, and snorted, embers falling from the cracks within its antlers. Adam and Jurot steadily approached, until they were only thirty or so steps away.

Battle Order D20 + 1 = 20 (21) Fighting Spirit: 3 -> 2 Attack - Wraith (Flanking) D20 + 11 = 24 (13) D20 + 11 = 28 (17) Hit! Mana: 15 -> 14 Ability: Divine Smite 2D6 + 2D6 + 7 = 22 (3, 4)(3, 5) 22 damage! Attack - Wraith (Flanking) D20 + 11 = 22 (11) D20 + 11 = 25 (14) Hit! Mana: 14 -> 13 Ability: Divine Smite 2D6 + 2D6 + 7 = 16 (2, 2)(2, 3) 16 damage! Onward Soar: 1 -> 0 Attack - Wraith (Flanking) D20 + 11 = 21 (10) D20 + 11 = 24 (13) Hit!

Mana: 13 -> 12 Ability: Divine Smite 2D6 + 2D6 + 7 = 23 (3, 4)(4, 5) 23 damage! Attack - Wraith (Flanking) D20 + 11 = 24 (13) D20 + 11 = 30 (19) Critical hit! Mana: 12 -> 11 Ability: Divine Smite 4D6 + 4D6 + 7 = 30 (1, 2, 2, 3)(1, 2, 6, 6) 30 damage! Dexterity Save D20 + 1 = 18 (17) Health: 78 -> 65 Adam and Jurot both charged for it, as it also reared up on its hind legs, before slamming down to charge towards them.

Adam inhaled, focusing himself as he struck the noonvalk elk around its side, before nearly hacking off its leg. Jurot struck it against its other side, causing it to screech out in pain, before it slammed its head down onto the ground. Adam forced himself to move, striking the creature across its hind, almost killing it outright, as a sea of fire engulfed him and his brother. Fighting Spirit: 2 -> 1 Health: 65 -> 70 Attack - Wraith (Flanking) D20 + 11 = 18 (7) D20 + 11 = 29 (18) Hit!

Mana: 11 -> 10 Ability: Divine Smite 2D6 + 2D6 + 7 = 21 (2, 5)(2, 5) 21 damage! Adam grit his teeth, focusi ng once more as he healed himself slightly, before he and his brother struck against it, managing to fell it with a final blow. His puthral armour glowed for a moment as the fire faded, and the noonval elk lay before them, dead. Victory! Noonval Elk XP Gained: +50 XP: 9000 -> 9050"That was easier than I expected," Adam said.

'If I had used Wraith, I would have killed it earlier.' Jurot looked to Adam, and Adam could see the question in his eyes. Adam replied with a smirk, before Jurot lifted the giant elk up, which would have caused even Adam to struggle, and carried it back to the fort.

"Damn," Adam whispered, wondering how the Iyrman had become so strong that he could carry a noonval elk with such ease. Once they returned to the outpost, Jurot began to butcher it with Nirot's assistance, while Adam looked to the side, seeing Vonda beginning to cook. He blinked, having sworn he had seen Korin there for a moment, before recalling the young man had gone with Dunes.

"That was easier than I expected," Adam admitted.

"It did burn quite nastily, though."

"When near death, its strength increases," Jurot admitted.

"Yeah, no doubt," Adam said, doffing his armour so he could tend to it.

"Does it have a core?" Jurot stuck his arm deep into it, the blood spilling against the ground beneath them, before he pulled it back out. He revealed a tiny core, no bigger than Adam's pinky nail.

"Nice," Adam whispered, smiling.

"You think we'll find more creatures with cores?"

"It is likely," Jurot admitted.

"Noonval is upon us, and therefore its creatures shall dot the land."

"Is that how that works?"

"Yes." Adam slowly nodded his head. He noticed Vonda out of the corner of his eye.

"Well, let's hope we won't have to kill much." Jurot blinked towards the Half Elf, hoping otherwise. Omen: 5, 9"What are those?" Adam asked, staring off into the distance.

"Firehounds," Jurot replied, simply. Adam slowly nodded his head. They were indeed hounds, and they were indeed on fire.

"They didn't call them noonval hounds?"

"Firehounds also appear at other times," Jurot said.

"Oh."