"My Jirot, my Jarot," Jarot called, embrag the twins close to his chest.

  “Babo,” little Jarot called, burying his chest within his greatfather’s chest, while Jirot climbed up beside the old man’s shoulder to babble into his ear about this thing and that thing.

  Adam sat opposite the old man, sipping his tea quietly, while his triplets y about him, rexing as they basked within the cool air. Their ears twitched, their nostrils itched, and they go the side.

  “May I join you?” a smooth, ashy voice called out to Adam.

  “How I deny a Prince?”

  “There are no Princes in the Iyr,” Morkarai replied, taking his seat opposite the half elf.

  Adam poured the fire giant tea, before the same to his children, chilling the cups slightly with his magic. “Are you spending your time in the Main Iyr?”

  “I am,” the Prince replied, sipping his tea after boiling it further, feeling the warmth fill his throat. “I have pleted my tasks here. I have the freedom to spend muy time rexing now.”

  “How much of the Iyr you explore?”

  “I explore much of the Iyr, but it is kio my heart if I take my time not expl the Iyr.”

  “Yeah…” Adam still wasn’t sure what the nature of their alliance amouo. The Iyr and the fire giants of the east had little to do with one ahe fire giants too far away from the Iyr, ahe Iyr formed a e with them. The particur kind of e, Adam was still uain. Morkarai seemed to have created magical ons for the Iyr, to the tune of at least a hundred, Adam guessed, though the number could have reached several huhen there was the fact the giant could create ical items, though Adam knew little of his true abilities.

  “I remember how much trouble Strom was,” Adam tinued, fshing a small smile. “He could go about the Iyr with ultimate freedom, apparently.”

  “Emperor Hadda was Emperor Hadda,” Morkarai replied. “Even my father would o show him the appropriate respect.”

  “Did he cause you any trouble while he was here?”

  “It was Emperor Hadda. The nd may believe you to be trouble, but you are not half as troublesome as the te Emperor.”

  “Yeah…” Adam leaned ba his chair, sipping his tea slowly, warming himself from the chilly duskval day. “Who knows, perhaps one day I’ll be as strong as him?”

  “If you tio develop as you have, in a few hundred years you may surpass him yet.”

  “A few hundred years?”

  “No, perhaps not a few hundred, but you will not reach the height of his strength in a tury, not unless you decide to give up raising your children and go to fight for the rest of your days.”

  “I suppose I won’t be able to grow as strong as him then.”

  “A good choiake.”

  ‘The ohing that’ll be awkward is my Health. His Health robably close to a thousand, while I probably get a couple of hundred, maybe three hundred, at most. No, about… three hundred and sixty? That’s if I ’t bee an Idol…’

  ‘What dangerous thoughts is he having now?’ Morkarai thought, his eyes falling across to the old man’s faoting his expression of curious delight. ‘Iyrmen…’

  “You have denied being a Hill Lord, but are you willing to visit the voloes of my home?”

  “I ’t say I haven’t been thinking about it,” Adam replied, his eyes slowly meeting the Prince’s. “I’ve been thinking about a specific magical item.”

  “Which item?” Morkarai asked, his mind f a few magical items which Adam may be thinking of.

  “A Belt of Fire Giant Strength.”

  Morkarai closed his eyes, slowly bowing his head. He had presumed Adam was thinking about that kind of magical item, si was one of the most famous items belonging to the giants. The item allowed oo possess greater strength, surpassing the limits of most mortals. One who wore su item possessed strength equal to that of the fire giants.

  “Su item is only gifted to the greatest of guests.”

  “Really?” Adam asked, raising his brows. “Would you gift it to me?”

  “For a price.”

  “rice?”

  Morkarai paused for a long moment, falling deep into thought. “Do you truly mean it?”

  “Mean what?”

  “You wish to procure it?”

  “Sure.”

  “A heavy price must be paid.”

  “That’s what I’m asking.”

  Morkarai remained silent for a long while again. “If you marry into my family, we will naturally gift it to you.”

  Adam inhaled sharply. “That is quite the offer.”

  “Will you sider it?”

  “I will sider it, but you shouldn’t be asking me. You should be asking my children, and Lanarot. You should also be asking whichever of your sisters, cousins, nieces, whoever, if they would like that.”

  A long sigh escaped Morkarai’s lips, the fire giant w how his family would reaarrying Adam. ‘Goblin children…’ Morkarai thought deeply, sipping his cooling tea. ‘What a bunch of fool they would be to deny Adam.’ “Perhaps there is another price which could be paid?”

  Adam let out a knowing sigh and he raised his cup of tea. “Yeah.”

  Adam spent the rest of the day rexing with his children, spending a short while expl the festival within the Iyr with their family. Mulrot also appeared to py with the children, while Churot went to his grandfather’s side.

  The day, Adam spent his time with the children of the shared estate, though he allowed Taygak to set the pace. Jitool walked around with the twins, while Adam carried Larot and the sleepy Jazool, who seemed to want to nap the entire day, as though she was Uwajin’s younger sister.

  Finally, it was time for the children to nap. Taygak led the children and assisted them to sleep, while Adam took Jazool elsewhere, reading her a tale of her family.

  “You smelly girl, you should sleep on time, with everyone else,” Adam said, while the girl cuddled up to his chest, her eyes gng up towards him. “I’ll five you because you’re so cute, my Jazool.”

  An Iyrman was about to approach him, stopped as Taygak took her pce beside Adam, taking the book to read to Jazool. Adam tio hold the girl thought, not giving her up siaygak got to read.

  “Silly girl, you should sleep with your kaka,” Katool said as she settled herself beside Adam. “I five you because you are cute.”

  Adam let out a soft sigh, his eyes gng across the children around him. They were his friend’s siblings, while they were also his cousins through his adoption. He gnced across all the children, from the you of Katool, whose eyes shone shtly while listening to her sister’s tales, to the likes of Taygak, who remained firm and steadfast as the eldest of the children.

  ‘You brats, you o grow up safe and sound,’ Adam thought. ‘No, you should stay small and cute forever, but…’ Adam’s heart sank, thinking about how they would o grow up and leave the safety of the Iyr one day.

  ‘Damokan, Kalokan…’ Adam’s eyes fell across the twins, who had made him promise to assist them iure. ‘I’ll work hard so that you all grow up safe and sound.’

  Iyrheart, the Iyrmen called it.

  Vonda watched the group from afar, sitting beside Tariel, who was busy writing away, excitedly shariory with the Ray. Even she, a Tribesfolk, had heard the tales of the Order of Life’s Rose.

  ‘Why do you always think such thoughts to make your heart ache?’ Vonda thought, befng at Tariel’s words.

  He’s thinking of the children again?

  “Adam is Adam.” Vonda’s lips formed a long smile. It was ter in the evening when the young woman checked upon her backpack, staring at the bottom, where it y.

  The rain fell across the Iyr as the duskval festival tihough the rain was still gentle, and only pitter pattered in moments.

  “It’s getting colder,” Adam said, noting how his triplets seemed far more energised, as though he had dumped sugar into their mouths.

  “It is,” Vonda firmed, holding the tea within her hands, feelings its warmth.

  “Are you okay?” Adam asked, noting how red the woman was. ‘It is time for people to get sick about this time of year, I guess?’

  “I’m fine…” Vonda inhaled deeply. “Adam?”

  “Yes?”

  Vonda remained silent for a long while. “Jirot is so smart.”

  “Yes.”

  “Jarot is so shy and sweet.”

  “He is, isn’t he? Karot’s the same.”

  “Your sons are so meek, but your daughters are so…”

  “Yeah,” Adam replied. “Kirot’s pretty forward too, when she o be.”

  Vonda smiled. The pair tio chat for the day, spending much of their time together, sharing tea and food.

  ‘Strom used to watch over us,’ Adam thought. ‘It feels weird without him humming in the distance.’

  “Adam?” Vonda asked.

  “Yeah?”

  Vonda remained silent for a long while. She reached into her waist pack, and revealed a yellow scarf, one which she slowly unfurled to reveal all manner of symbols and patterns across the scarf.

  “Nice scarf,” Adam said, eyeing it up. Adam had seen a simir scarf previously. “I think I saw a simir scarf that…”

  Their eyes met.

  ‘Eh?’

  Adam’s heart began to beat harder as the heat rushed through his body.

  “Adam.”

  “Yeah?” Adam mao reply, clearing his throat. ‘Calm down, you idiot.’

  “I hope you will accept it with my heart.’

  ‘What?’

  Wisdom SaveD20 + 4 = 14 (10)

  Wow! I didn't expect this at all! Who would have seen this ing?