“Daddy,” Jirot called, pg down her ilk onto the table before she climbed up beside her father. “Oof. What you ah doing?”

  “I’m writing.”

  “Why?”

  “I have some work to do for the year and I o pn it,” Adam replied.

  “You ah always wuhking.”

  “I will be taking breaks to py with you, like today.”

  “You ah paying with me?”

  “Yes.”

  “I fohgive you, just this ohe girl said, holding up her finger like her father would when he would say the same.

  A small smile appeared on Adam’s face. The young half elf whisked the tiny girl up into his arms to shower her cheek with kisses, the girl squealing and giggling against her father’s embrace. Adam settled her within his p and brought up the cup to her lips, feeding her, while his soled up against his chest and drank from his bottle too. The sug noises rexed Adam as he held both of his children, the tiny bundles of warmth who had him work so hard.

  Konarot eyed up Kiara, her eyes narrowed towards the strange woman. ‘Bad smell.’ She had kept her siblings away from the woman who found herself surrounded by terrifying monsters known as the Iyrmen. She was older than the oldest children, but youhaeens, with only Churhly her age, ahat boy spent most of his time assisting the Elder with matters of the Iyr.

  Nirot and her panions spoke of their tales to Kiara, who listened ily to their words. She was surprised the Iyrmen could speak her tohough the Iyr had uood the transitioween realms had allowed her to speak their to was not rare for such magics to work that way for it was within Ritetu’s domain.

  ‘I’ll o finish up with business first before I start with personal stuff,’ Adam thought as he soothed his twins to sleep within his arms. They were small enough still that they could sleep within their father’s arms peacefully. ‘I’ve got to watch over so many children now.’

  The duskval rain began to fall across the Iyr as the days began to pass by. Adam passively ented many new magical ons, starting with the easiest set of ons. Though he had ented many magical items earlier in the year, he still o plete the orders he had received throughout the year, which had financed so much of his adventure.

  Elder Zijin g Adam’s proposed schedule. He had already ented a set of three Basic magical ons, and he had decided to take the st day of the month off. It was awkward to say he had taken the day off when he had spent a short time casting a particur spell, but sidering it was Adam, he would sider it a day off.

  He checked the ent owenty fourth day of the eighth month. Of all the things Adam had doo surprise him most, the ent was truly among the top. He would have bet so much money, and more, to state Adam would do the opposite.

  ‘Business first,’ Zijin thought. He leaned ba his chair, unsure of how to feel about Adam’s words. ‘Duty is heavier than a mountain. Perhaps they won’t uand the pain in your heart, but I do, Adam.’

  “Seven hydahs?” Jirot asked.

  “That’s right,” Adam replied.

  “So many hydahs, daddy,” Jirot replied, raising her brows in surprise. “You ah so stohng, daddy, so stohng.”

  “I try,” Adam replied, gently rog from side to side with his twins in his arms. His triplets zed around uhe shade nearby, enjoying the cool breeze of duskval against their silver scales.

  Kiara kept to the side, eyeing up Adam and his children. ‘Goblins and half dragons…’ There had been goblins in her realm too, feral beasts, and to see Adam dote on his twins, it filled her with a sickly sensation. Dragoed too, as myths and legends, and perhaps as Night Lords, but half dragons were not real, for they could not mate. ‘He’s a queer folk.’

  As the eighth month approached, Adam tio work dutifully. The thunder and storms fell across the Iyr like clockwork. Adam stared up at the sky as lightning fell in the evening, rain falling all across the Iyr. He couldn’t help but wonder why the eighth month was always like this in the Iyr, but of all the things he could ask, he khis was not one of them.

  “I will go ahe Silver Fate Squad and the farmers and porters into Red Oak,” Jurot said.

  “The who?”

  “It is the name Nirot and the others have given themselves.”

  “How could they call themselves the Silver Fate Squad when they’re only Experts?” Adam joked, hiding his smirk behind his ilk.

  “…”

  “e on, that was funny.”

  “Okay.”

  “Tough crowd.”

  “Yes,” Jurot replied, flexing the muscles he had fed through training within the Iyr and following Adam on his chaotic journey.

  “Alright, well, I guess it is a good idea for aive to go and escort them out. They’ll feel safe with the Iyrmen about too. What about the fort?”

  “The fort is defended well,” Jurot assured, gng across towards his brother who had pined so much about missing his children a went to work immediately wheurned back to the Iyr.

  “I guess I’ll leave it to you, but…”

  “Yes?”

  “How you leave right now, you punk?” Adam asked, his eyes darkening. “Are you really going to leave now? In this month?”

  “Work must be done.”

  “If you go now, you won’t make it back, right?”

  “We will move swiftly,” Jurot stated.

  “You’re cutting it close, and with the stay at the Front Iyr, you probably won’t make it back quiough.”

  “I have requested a retra of the Front Iyr Law.”

  “A what?”

  “I have asked Elder Zijin to retract the need for the stay within the Front Iyr.”

  “You do that?”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh…” Adam blinked. “ I do that?”

  “If you provide a good reason.”

  “Will the Iyr keep me and my children apart? I’d like to see them try!”

  “They will do so.”

  “How they do that? I’m going to ask the old man to pin.”

  “Grandfather will wish to keep his greatchildren to himself since you do not visit him during your breaks,” Jurot said.

  “I ’t believe I o politic with that old man.” Adam let out a long sigh, defeated once more by the Iyrmen. “Alright, well… when you’re in Red Oak, you don’t o rush too hard. Do you want to take a Basic on as a gift?”

  “A on for a baker is not a good gift. Pam will feel too burdened if it is magical.”

  “Why are you so wise in matters like this?” Adam asked, smirking slightly. “You’re lucky you’re so damn handsome.”

  “Yes.”

  “Lanababy, do you think papa Jurot is handsome?” Adam called.

  Lanarot, midway through tearing a bread bun gnced over towards the group. She smiled towards Jurot. “Handsome papa.”

  Jurot inhaled deeply and owards his younger sister, who ughed before the ugh was silenced by bread.

  The warmth of home spread through Adam, relief blossoming within his heart as he melted into his chair.

  “Thank you, Adam,” Jurot said.

  “For what?”

  Jurot remained silent for a long moment. “I felt the o thank you in my heart and so I did.”

  “Well, thank you too.”

  “For what?”

  “For about the same reason.”

  “Okay.”

  “Though, if you e back too te, I won’t five you.”

  “I will return.”

  “Is Naqokan going?”

  “Yes.”

  “She’s the most important oo return on time.”

  “Okay.”

  “That doesn’t mean you miss it, and if Laygak dares to e by te, tell him I won’t allow any of his siblings ask him to help them with their ons.”

  “Okay.”

  With Adam’s threat within his heart, Jurot and the Silver Fate Squad left the m. It was simir to how they left previously, which surprised Adam, as the children followed the Iyrmen out.

  ‘They’re only going for a bit,’ Adam thought, hearing the children call out to the Iyrmen.

  “e home safely!”

  Lucy stormed in ter in the day, returning from the extended family estate. “Adam! I heard Jurot…” Lucy paused, uo tinue her stupid joke.

  Adam’s eyes were filled with a darkness she hadn’t expected. “Yeah?”

  “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” Adam replied. “You?”

  “I’m fine…” Luced towards Sonarot, who merely bowed her head.

  Konarot cuddled up beside her father’s side, hugging him close. She hadn’t seen her father like this before, and the others could also feel something had ged with Adam. However, Sonarot had yet to make a move, and so the Iyrme Adam be.

  ‘He does not look cold,’ the old Jarot thought when Adam came to visit them during his day off. The thuorm tio rumble in the sky as the old man rocked gently with his greatson atop his chest. After a short while, the old man realised what his daughter was talking about when she mentioned Adam’s darkness. Except, she refused to tell him the reason why Adam seemed to be so stiff that week.

  “What do you mean?” Adam replied towards the Family Elder of the Rot family. “I feel fine.”

  “Okay,” Mulrot replied, pg a wrinkled hand on Adam’s, warming his hand with her own. There was something off about Adam, and it hadn’t taken long for the old woman to figure it out.

  ‘Oh,’ Lucy thought in the night, after Adam had returned from the extended family estate. ‘Right…’

  Big sad.