The journey back to the village was swift, and disappointingly uneventful. They had travelled through the forest, feeling a number of eyes against them, but nothing had come to slow their journey.

“Well,” Adam said. “That was easy.”

“Speak for yourself.” Lucy rubbed her horn, feeling the ridge which had formed from the arrow. “My beautiful baby, how could someone hurt you so bad.”

“Can’t we buff it out?” Adam asked.

“Buff it out?” Lucy glared daggers towards him. “I’ll buff your ears out.”

Adam’s ears twitched. “I don’t know how horns work. I’m not as horny as you.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, but let the comment be. 

They had managed to return to the village within a day’s journey, though they had become exhausted after speeding up so eagerly. Luckily, Zeus had been quite the help on the way back, allowing them to travel quicker. 

“You have returned,” Sarot said, welcoming back his grandnephews. “Was it fruitful?”

“Yes,” Jurot said. 

“Good,” he said. “Will you tell me the story?”

They settled for the night, with Jurot telling his granduncle the story while Adam bathed before passing out.

“A Silver Strider?” Sarot asked, rubbing his chin. “The matter should not escalate considering their actions.”

Jurot nodded. “I do not know if Fate’s Golden will be able to travel that path again.”

“You should avoid it for now,” Sarot said, ruffling Jurot’s hair. “Will the core be given to the Iyr as Iytax?”

“No,” Jurot said.

“No?” Sarot asked, raising his brow. He didn’t expect Jurot to deny it. It would have brought him a great amount of honour if he handed the core over.

“I do not have it.” Jurot replied, shrugging his shoulders.

“Then who has it?”

“Adam,” Jurot replied.

“Adam?”

“Yes.”

 “I see.” Sarot thought about what he knew of Adam. ‘Since Adam is Jurot’s brother, then there should be no issue.’ He wondered what kind of enchanted weapon Adam would make with a Twilight Fox core.

Omen: 7, 11

Adam groaned as he awoke in the morning. He kept a blanket wrapped around him as he sipped his tea, which warmed him up. 

“I am glad you have returned safely,” Sir Vonda said. “I wished to meet you last night, but I thought you should rest.”

“Yeah, sorry,” Adam replied, sipping some more tea. “I was really tired. Exhausted, one might say.” He chuckled at his little joke. 

“How did it go? Poorly?” she asked.

“No, it went quite well,” Adam said. 

“You killed it?” she asked. 

Adam nodded.

“Then it went poorly.” She smiled a sad smile before her scarf.

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, there was a creature which had attacked us but we left it alive,” Adam said.

“You did?” Vonda stared at the Half Elf. “That is wonderful news.”

“Yeah,” Adam said, sipping some more of his tea. “Took both of its arms, though.”

Sir Vonda blinked rapidly, wondering if she had heard him correctly. “Arms?”

“Yeah,” Adam said. “It was a Silver Strider.”

“A Silver Strider?” Sir Vonda almost choked, quickly bringing her scarf up as she shook her head violently, trying to deflect the mental blows Adam’s words were hammering into her mind. “You came across a Silver Strider?”

“Yeah,” Adam said, motioning his head to the Demon who was currently basking beside the fire. “Lucy.”

“Oh, yes,” Sir Vonda said. “Lucy.” She decided against asking more, unsure if her heart could handle more of Adam’s words. ‘A Silver Strider. He took their arms?’ She wondered if she should tow the line so close to death.

“We’re probably heading out today,” Adam said. “I want to return back to Ever Green. I told the Porters to wait for us, but we shouldn’t wait too long, plus the request that Sir Landon had handed over, we need the Guild to confirm it.”

“Then I will pack my things,” she said. 

“How was Fred?” Adam asked.

“He is still finding his path.”

“How was it here without us? Not too boring, I hope.” Adam chuckled.

“No,” she said. “There was much healing to be done due to the Iyrmen and the Sirs.”

“Kept you busy then?” Adam continued to chuckle. “Would you like some tea before you leave?”

“Perhaps in Ever Green.”

“Alright.”

Adam prepared to leave, grabbing all his stuff, double and triple checking his items, before he packed everything up.

“You’re leaving so soon?” Sir Harold asked.

“Yeah,” Adam said. “Thanks for putting us up.”

“It was our pleasure. You are always welcome within our village, Adam.”

“Really?” Adam asked, smirking slightly. “Well, if you’re saying so, then I’ll be sure to intrude more often.”

Sir Harold bowed his head, shaking Adam’s forearm, before letting him go.

“We should have asked him for a spar,” Sir Royce said. “We could have been done with the favours after an untimely slip.”

“In front of the Iyrmen?” Sir Harold asked.

Sir Royce laughed. “I wanted to see him fight. That Iyrman said something rather funny, so I wanted to see it for myself.”

“With that axe of his, it’s true,” Sir Harold said. “If it was in my hands, he would be unable to match my strength.”

“That axe of his is deadly. He said he received it in the Iyr?”

“That is what he said.”

“Do you believe it?”

“I don’t believe he’s told any lies. Whether or not he has spoken the whole truth…” He watched as Adam pat Zeus and the group left out of the village, the villagers bringing more trinkets and gifts. “That remains to be seen.”

“Double dipping on trinkets,” Adam said. “Sir Landon? Would you be so kind?”

Sir Landon gave up the items to Adam. “Since they’re going towards a good cause, I will hand them to you.”

“A good cause?” Adam asked.

“The Iyrmen children will enjoy them.”

“You’re right,” Adam said. “I’ll be sure to tell them that Sir Landon and his Knights gave them as gifts.”

“Very well.”

‘It seems he’s been doing some thinking,’ Adam thought. ‘He’s caught on quick.’ Adam wasn’t sure if Sir Landon was an ally yet, but he certainly didn’t seem like a foe. 

“Should we be moving so quickly?” Fred asked. “We might miss danger.”

“What would dare threaten us between the village and Ever Green?” Jurot stated, completely relaxed as they travelled the path. “Sir Merry’s presence has put pressure on anything powerful enough to lay claim to the area.”

“If you say so,” Fred said, remaining to himself.

The walls of Ever Green welcomed them in the evening, Sir Landon paying for their gate fee as they entered.

“What a nice guy,” Adam said. 

Sir Landon still wasn’t sure if Adam was trying to pick a fight with him, but nodded his head and left it be. 

Quest Complete: Slay Twilight Fox
+150XP
XP: 5200 -> 5350
Stamps Gained: +1
Stamps: 6 -> 7

‘I should really spend that XP, otherwise I’ll be dying with a spare level in my back pocket.’

“Did you by any chance pick up a Twilight Fox core?” Barks asked when they were alone. 

“Yeah, why?” Adam asked. 

“Are you willing to sell it to the Guild?”

“I would prefer to keep it,” Adam said.

Barks sighed. “Don’t you have a Nightval Bear core?”

“Someone’s been snooping on my file, eh?” Adam said. He had expected they kept detailed notes on him, and he wondered how that worked.

“No snoopery, young man. I am a Guild Worker, and it is within my right to know about the Adventurers.”

“Mhmm,” Adam said. “I hope that news of my abilities remains between the Guild and I.”

Barks chuckled, leaning back in his chair. “We wouldn’t be in business if we spilled the secrets of every Adventurer.”

“Not every Adventurer, but a few key Adventurers,” Adam stated.

“You don’t have to worry. Only those with certain access can obtain your information.”

“You’ve got that kind of access?”

“Been a Guild Worker for decades,” Barks said. “I have about as much access as your Vice Master.”

“Oh? I didn’t expect that,” Adam said. “I just thought you were a friendly old man.”

“I am a friendly old man.” Barks chuckled again. “Don’t you worry about little ol’ me.”

“Are you secretly a bad ass Adventurer who retired after his lover died in your arms?” Adam asked.

“My story isn’t quite so obvious,” Barks said. “I was an Adventurer, for a little while. I reached Bronze rank in five years and retired to become a Guild Worker.”

“So quickly?” Adam asked.

“I found myself a big fat pile o’ loot,” Barks said. “Most beautiful thing I ever saw. Gold coins, platinum coins, even bars. Pile o’ magical weapons and armour, just there for the taking. Brought it back to the Guild, sold most of it off, split it with the party, joined the Guild so no one slit my throat for the gold.”

“A wise decision,” Adam said.

“Wisest I ever made.” Barks stared at Adam. “You thought about retiring? You don’t need to go about in this dangerous world. You’ve got the skills, the connections.”

Adam smiled. “I think about it more than you know,” he admitted. “Unfortunately, I’ve got promises to keep.”

“Ah,” Barks said. “You’re one of those.”

“Yeah,” Adam replied. “I’m one of those.”

 

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More double chapters still. Thanks to all the new patrons! I almost have 25, which might kill me with all the chapters I need to write and put out.