“Ah,” Adam said, realising how people could travel out so easily to and from the dungeons town floors. ‘Teleportation circles…’ For some reason, Adam thought there was something he was fetting.

  The Guildmaster checked their levels, full of shock, sihey were each certainly A Rank now. There was no way they could have bought their way in, especially since Sir Radun was the current Guildmaster watg over that floor. ‘How did they… in a matter of months?’

  It wasn’t long before Adam and his panions were called upon by a knight in heavy armour, wearing a cloak as bright as the sun. She wielded a magical bde at her side, ohat suited her station.

  “The t has called for you,” the knight said.

  “Okay.” Adam rubbed the side of his neck. ‘I should at least hear them out.’

  The manor was rger than the Baroness’, aainly to others, far more impressive. Adam, oher hand, admired the food, that he picked at slowly, while the t and tess spoke with Kitool.

  “I have heard your abilities are impressive,” the t said. “Your rapid assion to A Rank has sparked quite the ied.”

  “We wished to gain the position earlier, but the Guild would not grant us the rank before we proved ourselves,” Kitool said.

  “Where are you from that you grew so powerful at such a young age?”

  “We are from far away.”

  “A ve excuse,” the tess accused.

  “Yes,” Kitool replied simply.

  “However, you have proved yourselves capable. My husband and I will soon form a team for the Expeditions to the New World. We would like for you to represent our is there, along with a few other adventurers. After dealing with the local wildlife, and the savages, you will be-,”

  “No,” a voiterrupted. “We won’t do it.”

  Jurot slowly nodded his head. He had expected as much, sidering what this sounded like. Adam had already ranted enough about his first life for him to take on such a mission.

  “The wealth in this new ti is unimagihe dungeons there, uncimed yet by any family. If you-,”

  “No.” Adam’s eyes darted towards his panions. “We’re not doing that.”

  “Okay,” Jurot replied simply.

  The tess fell silent, her cheeks flushing slightly, though the white of her make up hid her anger. “You may even gain status as a noble.”

  “If I wao be a noble, I’d bee a noble. I’m sick of that life, and I don’t io return to it any time soon. We refuse this particur task.”

  “Do you think it’s wise to show us such disrespect?”

  “I’m sure there are plenty of nobles who want A Rank adventurers on their payroll. Barons, ts, Dukes, I'm sure even a King would look out for such. We're resting at the moment, but I'm sure we plete a few requests in the year t us to S Rank. If nothing else, we just go to the fiftieth floor.”

  “Is it so easy?”

  “The amount of times I have been asked that question would surprise you. Usually it's about me defeating someone. In fact, I'm pretty sure that the A Rank fellow said it too before I beat him. I healed him and wheabbed me in the back, I beat him again.” Adam shrugged his shoulders. “Look, tess. I’m sure you’re a somebody in this nd. I’m sure you and your husband hold a lot of power, have a lot of respect from all kinds of people, but from where I’m from, you’d barely be sidered a Vilge Chief. You aren’t the first noble who has thought to try to oppress us, and your castle probably won’t be the st one we have to burn down to teach you nobles a lesson.”

  Jaygak smiled, letting out a soft sigh. ‘Is it that bad, Adam?’

  “Allow me to do the talking,” Kitool said.

  Adam exhaled. “Don’t worry. I’ve got no pns to kill any his time.”

  “Killing nobles is an offence punishable by death.”

  “They weren’t nobles of this nd, and it’s fine, since I was a higher rank than them anyway.” Adam dismissed the words with a wave of his hand.

  “You were a noble?”

  “A… royal?” Adam gnced aside to Jurot. “I was a Duke, if it’s so important.”

  “You… were?”

  “I killed too many Kings not to be at least a Duke,” Adam said. “I decided against taking the title of King after the quests, and put someone else ohrone before I left.”

  “…”

  “What?” Adam asked ohey were back at the Guild. “It’s not like they’d believe me.”

  “It is not impossible,” Jurot said.

  “Si is pusible, they may think twice. They may still send the guards to kill us.”

  “Should we head to the capital?” Jaygak asked.

  “I thought this was the capital.”

  “This is the duchy’s capital.”

  “Oh.”

  It didn’t take long for the group to decide to head out. They journeyed for almost ten days towards the capital of the kingdom, which was rger than Pitcastle by quite a rge amount, though the popution was only slightly rger. Though the city was home to a grand citadel made of gss, a rge tower that appeared to be almost a giant spear that had fallen into the earth, a giant broatue, a stone dragon, and so many more mysterious and unique ndmarks, Adam cared little for them.

  Ohin The Silver Fool, an inn that held certain luxuries, but did not hold the riff raff of the higher css, the group checked out their items, noting all the dragon scales, bones, and all the ical items they possessed. They had ged most of their silver to gold, in order to keep their rings light, and even bought various gems. Jaygak had also noted some gems were worth slightly less in this world, so if they bought them here, they could make a greater profit within their own world. Adam took the opportunity to buy massive amounts of such gems, with little iion to sell them.

  Adam, upon Kitool’s advice, decided to go for the alchemy exam with Jurot, but upon seeing their attitude, he decided against it.

  “A goblin enter?” Adam asked, having passed by a group of adveo his room.

  “Mind your own business,” the adventurer replied, before noting Adam’s rank.

  Adam pced down a handful of gold. “Drinks on me. Now, about this goblin enter, please.” His genuine smile disarmed the adventurers, who informed him about the enter.

  “Unfortunately, it’s hard to meet them, not unless you have a lot of renown, and your purse is heavy with gold, maybe more.”

  “I’m not sure about renown, but…” Adam’s eyes darted to Jurot, who nodded, and the pair stepped back out.

  Gord’s Entery.

  The sign was rge, the wood carved and painted with a deft hand, well pced within the rich part of the city, Adam noting the guards following the pair as they approached the entery. It was a rather rge estate, more like a castle of wood, with walls that were easily two stories tall, with runes carved throughout. Standing outside articurly rge warrior adorned in full pte, and as they undid their visor, Adam hey were a beastkin, a lion.

  “Do you have an appoi?”

  “Oh. No.”

  “Why have you e?”

  “I wao chat with the enter.”

  “If you have no business with the enter, you should leave.”

  “Well, we’d like to chat, but we’re not opposed to a magical item or two. Please give the enter my greetings.” Adam reached into his cloak, pulling out a gem worth fifty gold, and another worth a hundred. “One for you, one for the enter. Please inform them that our party, the Ptinum Fate Troop, wishes to chat.”

  As the days passed, they heard of the two S Rank parties which made their home within the capital, the Golden Dragons and the Bck Tigers.

  “The Bck Tigers were formed from members who were kicked out of the Golden Dragon for being… not quite their image,” a slightly tipsy adventurer expined upon his fourth drink. “They’re both vying for the top spot.”

  “Oh…” Adam feigned i in the politics of the city. ‘I guess we could speak with both, potentially?’

  As the days passed, Adam realised something.

  “We… get to take the items back with us, right? All of them?”

  “All of them,” Jurot promised.

  “Then I should buy a few gifts while I’m here.”

  Jurot could feel the joy radiating out of his brother as he bought gift after gift for the children, threatening to fill up a wh. He bought small tris, ons, shields, and so much more. When it came to buying gifts, surely the half elf was S Rank.

  Adam reached down to rub the bracelet at his wrist, staring down at it. It was the first bracelet Elsie had given to him, the one she had made with all her siblings. ‘I should have at least brought something from my own children…’

  It wasn’t long until they heard word babsp;

  Gord’s Entery may have been a rge castle oside, but within, it was almost a garden, with greenery all abound. One might have thought the enter was an alchemist. Sitting at a gazebo, with anuard, was the goblin enter, green of skin, green of eyes, wrinkled by time. She was adorned in simple attire, but wearing all manner of jewellery, and bits and pieces of armour.

  “Good m, Master Gord,” Adam said, bowing lightly.

  “Just Gord,” she replied, her voice low, almost toad like. “Not no miss. Not no dy. Just Gord.”

  “I’m Adam, an A Rank adventurer, and this here is my brother, Jurot.”

  She nodded her head to Jurot, before noting his tattoos, feeling a sense of familiarity with the tattoos. ‘Is he one of the tattooed ohat love to kill?’ “Why did you wish to speak with me?” She snapped her fingers, and cups floated over, and she poured them a broth of soup, rather than a cup of tea.

  “I wished to talk about enting with you, if you don’t mind.”

  “Obviously.”

  “I meant how you ent.”

  “You want to see me ent?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  “I just… wao ask. I have a friend who knows how to ent, and he invited me to see him ent, but it’ll be a while before we see each ain.”

  “You know an enter?”

  “Yes.”

  “Who?”

  “He’s a…” Adam exged a look with Jurot. “A Prince, from another, far off, far away, nation. I probably ’t say more, sorry.”

  “I won’t allow you to see.”

  “How unfortuhen, may we order a magical item? Two, specifically.”

  “What is it?”

  “I want tws that slow ageing by half.”

  “I , but they don’t work on your kind of folk.”

  “It’s not for us, it’s for my children.”

  “It still won’t work.”

  “Well…” Adam scratched his nose. “My children are…” Adam threw a look to Jurot. “They’re from another culture, and they’re called something different, but…. If you were to look at them, you’d see goblins.”

  “What?”

  “I have two children who were boblins. I love them so much, and… I know I’ll live lohan them, being a half elf, but… they’re growing too quickly. They’re already three, four, and they’re…” Adam felt his eyes burn. “They’re growing too quickly. My daughter, she loves to bully me, so she’s growing up too quickly.”

  “You have goblin children?” Gord asked, gring at the half elf quizzically.

  “I… we don’t call them goblins, but yes.”

  “Are you starting a fight?”

  “My brother speaks true. One is named after randfather, and another, an aor.”

  “You’re brothers?”

  “Yes,” the pair replied.

  “As you see, our retionship is…” Adam smiled. “A little plicated, but I ted as his brother, and my children, as his nieces and nephews. ay for the rings, no problem. We’re A Rank adventurers, with A Rank pockets, and, also, A Rank materials.”

  Gnced between the pair. ‘What?’

  “Please, Gord. I would appreciate it a lot if you were to make these rings, amulets, whatever. I’ll pay whatever you need. If you need me to sy a dragon or two, I’ll go do just that.”

  “How many children do you have?” Gord asked.

  “Eight. Triplets. Twins. Three more.”

  “How many children do you have?” Gord asked Jurot.

  “Two.”

  “Are you hused about your children as your brother?”

  “Jurot’s just shy,” Adam said, chug. “He loves his children a lot. His son was born and he decided to win a tour.”

  “I must pave the way for my children to bee at least k,” Jurot said.

  “What if they don’t want to bee adventurers?”

  “They must bee k at least, and if they wish for another life after, they may.”

  “What of your children?” Gord asked.

  “My children…” Adam thought of his children one by one. “My eldest, she’s so well behaved, but so vicious. She’ll bee a great warrior. Her younger sister, she will too. My first son, he’s shy, but his mother’s a Priest, and he’ll probably follow her footsteps. My daughter, she wants to bee a great Wizard, one who will quer the world, probably. My son…” Adam paused, feeling the burning in his eyes again, clearing his throat. “My son, he’ll be like his great grandfather, a powerful warrior, that’s for sure, even though he’s the shyest. My other children, they’re too young to really say what they want.”

  ‘He really is a father,’ Gord thought, noting the way Adam looked to the past, to aime, to another nd. “I ’t make the magical item for a while. The nobles are pnning to go quer the New World, and they have pced a great many orders.”

  “Ah, well…” Adam sighed. “It was worth a try.”

  As the pair stepped out and made their way back to the Guild, Adam stopped. “Jurot?”

  “Yes?”

  “I hate this pce with a burning passion.”

  “…”

  “Let’s figure out something for the rest of the year, yeah?” Adam lightly punched Jurot’s bicep, fshing a small smile.

  Adam missed his family so much. His children. His wife. His sister. His aunt. ‘I'm even beginning to miss the old geezer...’

  “Adam?” Jurot called.

  “Yeah?”

  “We should go further east to meet with the A Dragon King.”

  “The what?” Adam asked.

  “The A Dragon King to the East, across the sea.”

  “…” Adam blinked. ‘You what?’

  As the sun began to rise, Adam stared at the mast of the ship. It was like most ships one might have expected, made of wood, with several masts, a sail, except there was one differehe anchor was not put down to the sea, but to the earth.

  “The sky?” Adam asked, his body filling with equal parts delight and equal parts trepidation.

  “The air ship will take us to the East,” Jurot stated.

  “You could have warned me. I thought we were going across the sea in a ship, not over the sea in a ship.” Adam eyed up the ship, noting that it looked so much like a sea ship, a, somehow, it was flying? ‘I should make a flying ship too.’

  ‘He is thinking something dangerous,’ Jaygak thought, noting Adam’s eyes, which were filling with guilt at his dangerous thoughts.

  Adam prepared the proper spells, making sure he took Fly, just in case. His entire body felt heavier upon the ship, the ship’s magic, apparently. Within a few hours, Adam all but fot that he was flying in the air, save for the times he looked out towards the horizon.

  They tio fly, from port to port, each time grounding themselves he sea ships. It was during the third day of their travels that a flying serpent fell upon their ship. Its scales shimmered yellow and blue, its grey eyes almost silver.

  “A thesselrym!” someone gasped, quickly darting to the creature, only to find a block of steel standing in her way.

  “They look wounded,” Adam said, reag down with a finger.

  Lay on Hands: 45 -> 40

  “There we go, little friend.” Adam allowed the wyrm to itself around his arm, noting the way it hissed at him so warmly. He could se was a warm like tone from knowing the dragon’s tongue, and the half elf smiled. “Looks like we have a new friend for Blues.”

  “Konarot will enjoy speaking with it,” Jurot said, before noting Adam’s look. “…”

  ‘My brother is so cute, thinking of his niece first.’ Adam smiled slightly. “Yeah.”

  “You ’t cim it yourself,” the woman said.

  “I’m the one who healed them,” Adam said, leaning down to nuzzle the creature’s nose. “I’ll hand em to all those on deck since I don’t want any hard feelings.”

  “A gem?” The woman narrowed her eyes, but as the figures upon the deck all received the gems, they quietened down.

  “I really appreciate everyone allowio take care of this thesselrym,” Adam said, fshing a charming smile towards everyone. He fed the creature with his magical berries, and it tio hiss so adly towards him.

  However, Adam’s good fortune did not st long.

  Dexterity SaveD20 + 1 = 6 (5)

  Mana: 33 -> 30Spell: Feather Fall

  “Damn it!” The Captain shouted, cursing the world as he spun the wheel, but it was too te, the giant rock breaking through the ship’s magical barrier, crashing against its hull. Though the barrier had dampehe blow, the ship rocked, and began to spin to its side as it fell.

  Adam shouted, before willing forth his magic, calling out to the world to charge his magic, grabbing his amulet tight. Jaygak, Adam, Jurot, Kitool, and the Captain each began to fall slowly. However, the ship tio desd towards the o, with the rocks, bolts of magid various elements above them threatening to strike them.

  “Adam! Cast Fly upon me!” Jurot shouted at the half elf, while Jaygak had already begun to throw off her armour as they slowly desded towards the o.

  Mana: 30 -> 27Spell: Fly

  Mana: 27 -> 24Spell: Fly

  Adma first cast it upon himself, but as he did, he grabbed Kitool and Jaygak, pulling them closer towards the Iyrman. Yellows pulled at his armour.

  “Tch!” Jaygak groaned as Adam pulled her along, before staring down at her leg. ‘Baktu take me!’

  Jurot was strong, but with Adam and Jaygak in their armours, he would be uo carry all three of them.

  “Jurot,” Kitool called, bowing her head, the young woman floating downwards towards the o.

  Ah, right. It was Kitool.

  Adam tio cast Feather Fall upon the group, though Jurot no longer required, it, while the captain had taken the ce to throw off his heavier items. Adam, g little for his armour.

  “Jaygak,” Adam said, reag out with his ring.

  “No. We will return soon. My armour is worth less than our items.” She tiossing away her armour, finally reag her left leg piece. She grabbed at it, but as she tried to kick, her leg barely moved. She could still feel a few splinters against the side of her leg, though they were but a geingle.

  As they finally approached the sea, Jaygak was mostly out of her armour, and Adam was too. Jurot flew around the sea in a circle, keeping a on Kitool, and the other travellers. Unfortunately, some did not resurfabsp;

  Thankfully, the sea darkened, and a rge serpent emerged, along with a handful of seafolk.

  “Halt!” The ander gnced up towards Jurot, who tio circle around the air. “What are you doing?”

  “It is difficult to stop,” Jurot admitted.

  “I’ll drop down,” Adam said, his brother letting go of him, allowing the half elf to pluo the water. There, Adam noted more seafolk, as well as the missing people, who were within rge bubbles, each dishevelled. He resurfaced, panting for air.

  “What happened?” the ander asked, his eyes towards the Captain of the ship.

  “A skirmish. We didn’t hear the war restarted.”

  “Terrible luck.” The ander eyed up the rest of the group. “Is this all?”

  “It is.”

  “Do you have the paperwork?”

  “On the ship.”

  “In the bck chest?” the ander asked.

  “In the gold chest.”

  “Ah. From the South?”

  “Yes.”

  With that, the seafolk assisted the overnders, their seacarriages taking them to their uer kingdom. The buildings of coral, wood, and stoaller than most cities Adam had seen, easily reag twenty stories tall, many at least five to six stories. The group were eventually brought to a dry se of the nd, though the gentle mist of water sprayed through the air, only stopping outside the walls of the various stone buildings which made up the castle.

  “Terrible luck,” Jaygak said, rubbihumb along the bandages around her knee.

  “Sorry, Jaygak. I didn’t notice,” Adam apologised, flushing slightly, seeing the way the woman looked at her knee. Her eyes were filled with annoyanbsp;

  “There was little we could do,” Jaygak said. “It was Fate. At least we finally return home soon.”

  “Soon?”

  Jaygak gnced around, before smiling. “Once we’re on nd, we head home.”

  “Sure.”

  The soldiers kept them in for a few days, cheg on each of the passengers, keeping them imprisoned within the castle, before finally esc them up to a nearby isnd where they could charter a ship.

  “Thank you again, ander,” the Captain said, shaking the ander’s forearm.

  “The currents guide you,” the ander replied, before the seafolk soldiers returned back to the sea.

  ‘I had no idea the people were so…’ Adam wasn’t sure what to think of this nd. It was so full of people he despised, but then also people so eager to help one ahe seafolk may have kept them imprisoned, but they had, seemingly without cost, put them up for days, and had even brought them to nd, without taking even a copper.

  Thankfully, Adam and his panions had kept their belongings within their rings, and the soldiers had even assisted in finding their armour for them, which hadn’t taken them long. Adam eyed up his mail, gd he had taken it and not his puthral. ‘I should really ent my armour. It o be Greater, at least. Should I ent it with a Legendary entment? Will the Iyr allow it?’

  They travelled upon the seas towards a nearby ti, going from port to port.

  Jaygak stared at the ceiling of her tiny room, that which she shared with Kitool, who was stretg her legs upon the deck. ‘At least it was my leg and not theirs.’ Jaygak reached up to her eyes, c them. Though she was gd her leg had been crippled, since she had already decided to retire, but she couldn’t help but feel that, even in this world, the Gak family was not allowed to rise.

  ‘Jaygak,’ Kitool had called, the girl her pepper.

  ‘It is your pepper, Kitool,’ Jaygak had replied, before her eyes fell to her father to see if he was looking, the girl quickly eating the pepper from Kitool’s hand.

  ‘Jaygak! How you eat Kitool’s pepper?’

  ‘No!’ The girl gasped, shaking her head. ‘I did not! Kitool said I have it!’

  ‘Kitool, did you say Jaygak could have it?’ Jogak asked, raising his brow.

  Kitool looked at Jaygak, who pouted towards her. Kitool’s lips quivered, before she began to cry, only for Citool to pce her hand upon Kitool’s bob.

  “Kitool.”

  Kitool’s tears fell, but she did not groan or whimper, instead bowing her head slightly. “Yes.”

  Jaygak’s lips quivered, almost threatening to cry at Kitool’s joke. “You see, daddy?”

  “I see,” Jogak said, ruffling his daughter’s hair, before returning back to his own meal. He peeked towards his wife, before letting out a sigh. “How I help it when my daughter is so cute?”

  Lavgak shook her head lightly, letting out a soft sigh. ‘This is why she always bullies you.’

  “e, Kitool,” Citool called, taking her daughter to the extended family estate. Feeling the girl’s small hands against her own, she smiled. Sometimes, her daughter would cry to cause more trouble, but in front of her, it was futile. “If you cry, your cousin will learn to cry so much too.”

  Kitool blinked. “I will not cry.”

  “You may cry if you wish to cry.”

  “I will not.” The girl stood a little taller and prouder. “Mama?”

  “We go to the toilet.”

  Kitool narrowed her eyes towards her mother. ‘How you know?’

  She was many years older when she walked upon the deck, recalling the memories of old. She stared out towards the sea, which could swallow them up at any moment, for no reason at all. She was but a girl, barely out of her clothy in her memory. She closed her eyes, feeling the cool wind of the sea, and the cool wind of that day.

  Kitool clutched his shirt tight, though she had o, for her grandfather held her so close to her chest. He skipped through the nd with ease, as though floating from cloud to cloud, then, as they came upon the river, he ran upon the surface, before leaping onto the other side. He turned, reag down with a fio tickle her nose.

  “Did you see?”

  “No.”

  “Shall I walk upoer again?”

  Kitool stared up at her grandfather, pouting slightly, but she slowly nodded her head.

  “If you are too afraid, you say no, my Kit.” Zaool leaned down to nuzzle her nose. “If you soil your clothy, your mother will tell me off.”

  “I do not wear clothy any more.” The girl sat up taller. “I do not .”

  “Wow! You have grown so much, my Kit! You are… three?”

  “I am four now, baba.” Kitool narrowed her eyes at her grandfather. “You are just joking.”

  “Haha! You really are so big now!” Zaool chuckled.

  She could still remember her grandfather then. It was one of the st times she had met him. The st time she had seen him, it had been raining. The rain was cold then, she could remember it even as a child.

  “You let him leave?” Zaool shouted. “Do you know what kind of mess he’ll cause?”

  “Could you stop him?” Shaool asked.

  “You could!”

  “It is not my pce to stop him.”

  “Shaool!”

  “You must uand my position, Zaool.”

  Zaool ched his fists. He quickly turned a, sprinting towards the maie.

  Kitool had remembered just how tenderly he had held her, and had wished her aunt’s pregnancy well.

  “You must watch over your cousin well,” Zaool said, brushing the girl’s hair gently.

  “I know,” Kitool assured.

  Kitool was too young to uand the meaning behind Zaool’s soft smile, the smile of an Iyrman who was about to leave the Iyr, with the uanding it may have bee time.

  However, she was old enough then to uand. She opened her eyes to stare out at the sea. She uood why her grandfather, who was barely a Master back then, had goo stop Jarot. She uood why he and Tangak had died during the fight with the Azure Terror.

  “Did you enjoy the fresh air?” Jaygak asked as Kitool returo their room.

  “Jaygak,” Kitool called.

  “…”

  “I will tio adventure.”

  Jaygak smiled, unsure if she had ever seen Kitool thinking so deeply, so resolutely. “Now I rest easier knowing those fools won’t get themselves killed so easily.”

  “Your expectations are too high.”

  “You do it, si’s you.”

  Kitool’s jokes were so easily dealt with by Jaygak, the young Iyrman uanding why Adam found it difficult to deal with her. “I am sorry, Jaygak.”

  Jaygak just smiled, letting out a defeated sigh. “It was Fate.”

  Thus the party made their way back to the ti, and from the ti, to the West once more, to find the magical whirlpool which would send them bae. Their journeys were full of fights, but sihey were all Masters, and outside of a few wyverns, they had very little to worry about.

  A greater threat loomed on the horizon.

  I skimmed some of this chapter and it made me sad.

  Sorry, Jaygak.