Chương 670: 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."

"I am asking you where you bought it, you fool."

"I didn't really buy it?" Adam replied.

"I donated to a temple, then Baktu-,""Adam," Jurot interrupted his brother.

"Oh," Adam replied, realising he probably said too much.

"You, son of Gek, would-,""I am a son of the Rot family," Jurot corrected, daring to interrupt the Lord of Earth, staring down at the great figure. Jurot, who was the first person to realise who Lord Stokmar was when they had first met, and also how powerful they were, still dared to draw his line in the sand. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

'Jurot, what are you doing?' Adam thought.

'I let you die the first time and it broke me, don't do this to me! I can't hold off Lord Stokmar for that long!' Stokmar grunted, recalling how Hadda had informed her about the issue with the names, but she continued to glare up at the Iyrman.

"You would interrupt his tale to me?"

"I wish to tell the tale," Jurot stated.

"There is much to be said." Stokmar wasn't sure if Jurot had really interrupted for just that much, but considering the Iyrmen's proclivity to truth, she decided to let it go. The amount of ale the Iyr had fed her was more than enough for at least that much, even if she did have to work to shift the earth around for them every so often. Then her eyes shifted from the Half Elf and the Iyrman, to the Dragon within the group.

"The unfilial child has finally returned."

"I have heard that I have returned too late," Umbra stated.

"I hope you'd be willing to give me some time to mourn before you continue, Stokmar." Wingburg and Burgwing couldn't help but exchange glances, the pair of them great figures in their own right, even great enough to belittle the likes of Morkarai, but Stokmar? Not even together would they dare to even glance inappropriately towards the Lord of Earth. Grimraith remained silent, wondering who this strange Human woman was.

No doubt she was a Dragon in disguise, but she probably wasn't in the same league as himself or Lord Stokmar, who even he paid respects too. However, the sheer audacity of her words, and considering the Lord of Earth's words, he realised that the young woman was probably one of Hadda's children, though he had no idea which. He had very little knowledge of the Higher Realms, other than that they were still keeping the peace between their own realm and the Lower Realms.

Stokmar didn't react against the disrespect, only because she had started the fight, and because she was definitely that man's daughter. Though her entire being had mostly changed, not her shifting into a Human, but her entire being. Stokmar could only assume the woman had gone through dozens of reincarnations. Compared to how long Hadda had missed her, no doubt it was nothing compared to the time she had experienced.

"I will allow it," Lord Stokmar stated. Wingburg and Burgwing decided against paying more attention to the situation, Wingburg pouring her companion some wine, before they both sipped them slowly. It was tense enough to feel the presence of so many great figures in the Iyr, and what with all their escorts about, but it was another thing to hear the Iyr's secrets, and the secrets of figures which paid no mind to the Great Lords.

"Lord Stokmar," Adam called, clearing his throat awkwardly as he sensed the tension in the air.

"Speak up!"

"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.