Omen: 1, 10

  Adam brushed his teeth after breakfast too, since he was going to be meeting a oday, and one which wasn’t from Red Oak, so he o be on his best behaviour.

  ‘I ’t just start fights with every there, no matter how much they deserve to be knocked doeg or two.’

  He slipped himself into his thick clothing, donning the breastpte, which was quickly being his typical attire. It was quick to don just his breastpte, and provided him with ample prote, without the stuffiness of his ee mail.

  It was today that he was going to meet Sir Landon, which posed a new problem for Adam.

  ‘What am I going to do with Sky?’

  He decided to think about it aime as he approached the room which had been prepared for Fate’s Golden and the Noble.

  “M,” Adam said, nodding his head to the rest of his group. “Sir Vonda, a pleasure to see you.”

  “And you, Adam,” she replied.

  Adam sat opposite her, beside Jurot. He reached out for some fruit which had been pced between them. “So, where’s this Noble fel then?”

  “He will arrive when he means to,” Jurot said.

  “They say Nobles are never early or te, but arrive precisely when they mean to,” Sir Vonda joked.

  “What is he, a Wizard?” Adam coughed, uo tain his ughter as he spped his knee. “I ’t believe I heard that phrase.”

  Jurot looked to Adam.

  “I’ll expin it aime,” Adam said, shaking his head and sighing. His smile slowly faded as he bit into the sweet fruit, looking out to the er of the room, losing himself in reminisg his past.

  It hadn’t taken long for the o arrive. He was youhan Adam expected, just a little older than himself. He had bck hair and blue eyes, but his most promi feature was the rge gash across his face, which had caused part of his cheek and jaw to droop from the way it had healed. He wore a breastpte, and held a bde at his side, one which was no doubt magical, even if it was only a small bonus.

  “Sir Vonda,” Sir Landon called. “It has been some time.”

  “It has, Sir Landon,” she replied, exging a bow of her head.

  “This must be Fate’s Golden,” he said, looking to the Half Elf, the savage, and the horned bitch.

  “Sir Landon,” Adam called. “Adam, son of Fate.”

  “The Elf,” he said.

  “Half,” Adam corrected, noting the sharp gres of the Knights behind the he pair of them wore full pte, and wielded at their sides ons, which also were no doubt magical.

  “Yes, Paul informed me that-“

  “Vice Master Paul,” Adam corrected. ‘Oh, damn it.’

  “Yes,” Sir Landon said, his eyes narrowing slightly, “Vice Master Paul mentioned you were capable folk.”

  “Allow me to introduce you,” Adam said. “This is Jurot, son of Surot, and this is Lucy, a friend of ours.”

  “An Iyrman and a Devilkin, who doesn’t appear to be an Iyrman, meaning you are most likely an Aswadian,” Sir Landon said. “Aren’t our people at war?”

  “Most likely from Aswadeen, or whatever it’s called, but there’s a ce I’m nht?” Lucy said. “I’m actually from somewhere else, but that’s not important.”

  “A two horn with unknown ins,” a Knight said. “Who is to say that you aren’t here to assassinate my Lord?”

  Adam looked to Jurot. “You know, I woke up today thinking I didn’t want to start any bother with the hey’re not making it easy, let me tell you that.” Adam shook his head as he reached for another fruit.

  “As if I’d waste my time trying to assassinate some, what, fourth son? Fifth son? What’s the point in that?” Lucy asked. “I’m here to make money and fight a bunonsters. I didn’t want to baby sit, that’s your jo-“

  “Anyway,” Adam interrupted. “I hear you want to kill some Elder Wolves. You’ve e to the right pce. We slew ohe other day, the other two ran away, but we got the other White Wolves. Plus, we mao defeat a Nightval Bear and an Awakened Wolf back to back.” Adam bit into the fruit, half grinning at the Noble as he ate.

  ‘What a savage,’ Sir Landon thought, but he kept his face stone cold. “It was yroup which defeated the Awakened Wolf?”

  “Well,” Adam said. “Actually, I beat it in one on one bat after fag the Nightval Bear. My responsibility as the leader of this humble group.”

  Sir Landon narrowed his eyes. “I heard there were six of you against the Nightval Bear. Not quite as impressive.”

  “Half of them were Porters,” Adam corrected. “I’m happy to include them in too, though two of them nearly died to the Nightval Bear, and the other one, well, he wasn’t so bad.”

  “So you faced the Awakened Wolf alone?” Sir Landon asked.

  “That’s what I said,” Adam replied, nodding his head. “The Wolf caused up quite a stir.”

  “You may boast as you please, but lying to a Noble is a problem,” the Knight from before said.

  “Seems like your Knights don’t trust me,” Adam said.

  “You have been an Adventurer for how long?” the Knight asked.

  “Nine and a half months,” Adam said.

  “Bronze Rank?”

  “Four stamps to my hus far,” Adam said.

  “Ridiculous,” the Knight said. “Is the Adventurer’s Guild so desperate for prestige these days that they’d o coddle an Elf?”

  “You should wash your ears,” Adam said. “I already said I was a Half Elf. Since you don’t seem to like me, and you seem to not trust my boasting, why don’t you put some gold where your mouth is and we settle this like men.”

  “You wish to challenge me?” the Knight gred down at the Half Elf who dared to try and challenge him, a Knight of a great house like Sir Landon’s?

  “No,” Adam said, bringing the fruit to his lips. “I want to take yold.”

  Lucy let out a soft whimper, suppressing her ugh, though her face did not hide how much she wao ugh.

  “Do you not have enough gold already?” Jurot asked.

  Lucy spped her cheeks to stop herself from ughing to the owo bo of the brothers.

  “I don’t want you two fighting on the road,” Sir Landon said, noting how tense his Knight had bee. “Vice Master Paul,” Sir Landon called, as the Vice Master entered with some tea. “Could you oversee the battle?”

  “Of course,” Vice Master Paul said.

  “There will be one fight, and the pair of you will no longer bother with it,” Sir Landon stated, firmly.

  “Uood, Sir,” Adam said, bowing his head.

  They made their way around back, with Adam stretg out his arms as he walked, before stretg his bad his thighs ohey were at the field.

  “You will fight without your pte mail?” Jurot asked.

  Adam nodded. “I should be okay,” Adam replied. “After fighting Iyrmen, I’m not really that afraid of normal people.”

  Jurot nodded his head. “Will you tell me the story?”

  “One day,” Adam said, realising he hadn’t told Jurot the full story yet. ‘You’d probably say I’m bullying this Knight if you knew.’

  The Knight remaianding opposite Adam, waiting for him to finish whatever it was he was doing.

  “Right, so how much should we bet? A hundred gold?” Adam offered.

  “As you wish,” the Knight replied.

  “Not going to say something like how I ’t have a hundred gold?” Adam asked, grabbing his die, donning his shield, and hoisting up his axe.

  “I am not going to beat you down for the money, but to put a dog in his pce,” the Knight stated, simply.

  “I know the feeling,” Adam said, “but taking a hundred gold from a Knight is just too alluring for me.” Adam raised his axe. “Vice Master Paul, please write dowerms of the duel. I’d like for it to be sighat way there will be no pints or slipperiness from the Knight.”

  “You would dare to suggest that-“

  “Yeah,” Adam said. “I would dare to suggest that you have no manners and that you are just a troublemaker.”

  “Adam,” Paul called. “He is still a Knight.”

  “If he ’t hahe banter, he shouldn’t start it,” Adam said, simply. “However, since you did me a solid, Vice Master, I’ll be a good little Half Elf boy and leave him with his limbs intace I’m doh him.”

  Paul rubbed his forehead. “I want you to promise you’ll be good during the quest too.”

  “Alright,” Adam said. “You’ve treated me well thus far, so I’ll be sure to repay the favour by not being a brat.”

  “I’ll get that in writing before you go,” Paul said.

  “You don’t trust me?” Adam asked, shocked.

  “I will be sure he keeps his promise,” Jurot said. “He has promised it as a Nephew of the Rot family.”

  “Alright, since yoing so far, Jurot,” Paul said, relenting.

  ‘Why are they ign me?’ the Knight asked, g his fists together.

  The terms of the duel were in pce. Fighting until the surrender or unsciousness of the oppo between the Knight and Adam. Also, if there is a death, it will be ruled as an unwful killing.

  “An unwful killing?” Adam asked. “Will a Knight be harmed by that?”

  “Yes,” Paul said.

  “What about me?”

  “It will be worse for you since you’re a, you know,” Paul said.

  “Adventurer Half Elf?”

  “Yes,” Paul said.

  “Of course,” Adam said.

  The tract was signed, and Paul slipped it into his cloak, where it would remain safe so that her could shirk their responsibilities.

  “Hey, Paul. I use my Smites, right?” Adam whispered into the ear of the Vice Master, who nodded.

  Sir Landon watched ily. If somethio happen that was the Adventurer’s fault, he’d be able to put pressure on Paul. If the rulings were too even, he could als it up as Paul’s favour for the Adventurer, something which would be unbeing of the Vice Master whilst he took the impartial role of a referee. The whisperiween the pair only added to the evidehe Noble was gathering.

  “You should have known your pce,” the Knight said, drawing his bde angrily, which held a low glow of magic.

  “I’ve already taught Sky his pce,” Adam said. “I suppose I teach you yours.”

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  Adam about to beat two dogs back to babsp;