“Daddy! Daddy!” cried the little girl with utter delight, almost tag her father, who dropped down to his knees and held out his arms.

  “Ah!” Adam called out, embrag all of his children, his entire body rushing with joy as his children charged him.

  “Daddy!” Jirot cried with delight again. “You are back, daddy! You are back!”

  Adam allowed his five children to almost swallow him whole. He hugged his little Jarot first, holding him close, feeling the boy’s warmth, smelling the oils of the Iyr. He peppered his son’s green cheek with light kisses, swaying from side to side as his entire body filled with a father’s joy.

  Jane blinked, shaking her head, unsure of what she was looking at.

  “Jarot! Jarot, my boy! Did you miss daddy?”

  “I missed you, daddy,” the boy replied shyly, clutg his father’s shirt, smelling his gentle st.

  “Jirot!” Adam nuzzled into the girl’s neck, kissing her cheek too, before pulling her close, feeling her warmth against his cheek.

  “Daddy!” Jirot’s breath tickled against his neck, her tiny hands clutg at his colr and shoulder to hug her father back.

  “You!” Adam wao tease her, but he had missed her too much, so he held his twins closer, almost bursting with love. He peppered their green faces and their leaf shaped ears all over. Their amber eyes sparkled with the joy only children uood. “What a silly daddy I am! Leaving such adorable children home! Why did I even leave?”

  “To fight!” Jirot said, raising her fist in the air, though her free hand clutched at his colr, refusing to let him go.

  “Ah, right, well first, I o say…” Adam gnced down at his triplets. “Hmm?”

  The trio stood expetly, each ready to embrace their father. Their silver eyes remained focused on their father, their silver tails swaying shyly behind them. Just like their father, and their siblings, they also had leaf shaped ears, though they also had tiny nubs whied horns at the ers of their foreheads.

  “…”

  “…”

  Konarot, his eldest daughter, was still small, not quite as small as Jirot or Jarot, but she stood taller upon realising what her father was doing. She held up an accusatory finger, wielding it like a bde. “No. Not allowed.”

  “This firm voice…” Adam began, doing his best not to give in to his daughter just yet. However, the guilt ate away at him, and after taking in the sight of the sear her eye, he pulled his his triplets in close. He embraced them tight, peppering each of them with kisses all over their faces. “Didn’t I tell you not to grow up? Who gave you permission to turn four years old?” Adam swayed from side to side, holding each of his children close, nuzzling against his triplets’ horns.

  “Are those…” Jane asked, turning to ask Jaygak.

  “They’re his children,” Jaygak replied, smiling ever so slightly. “They’re my nieces and oo.”

  ‘What?’ Jane’s eyes held more questions within them, but she dared not to ask, not when the woma her so threateningly.

  “Daddy is sorry for missing your birthdays.” Adam pnted firm kisses on his triplets’ foreheads. “I brought so many gift, but they’re at the Guild.”

  “Daddy.” Konarot’s tail swayed from side to side, while Kirot nuzzled against her father’s neck, and Karot buried his head against his father’s side.

  ‘My kids! Aren’t they the cutest?’

  “Where are they?” called a voice. “My greatchildren, how could they leave my arm?”

  Jane’s eyes darted to the side, noting the appearance of an old man. He was tall, with short hair, one arm, and a wooden leg. At his side was an axe, and upon his forehead, was a tattoo she was familiar with. A blue circle, with blue diamonds emanating from each side. ‘Who is he?’

  “Old geezer, you’ve gained weight,” Adam replied, grinning wide towards the old man who stepped forward. “What are you doing here?”

  “What am I doing here? What are my greatchildren doing here? They should be within the Iyr! Why are you making me walk all this way to e visit them?” Jarot, the one armed, one legged Iyrman, growled towards the half elf, shuffling forward to try and steal his greatchildren away from their father.

  ‘Wait,’ Jahought, taking in the sight of the Iyrman. ‘He’s the Mad Dog?’ The disappoi quickly pushed away the fusion, as she saw what seemed to be the twilight of an old warrior.

  “Jirot, Jarot, e,” the old Jarot called.

  “No! I am hugging daddy!” Jirot decred, climbing atop her father, to her tiny arms around his neck, refusing to let him go. “Smelly daddy! Always w! Always w!”

  “Daddy…” Little Jarot cuddled up to his father’s chest.

  “Ah, well, daddy o fight iour, right?”

  “Always! W!” Jirot tio bully her father.

  Other Iyrmen approached the returning group, while the businessfolk watched from the fire. An old Iyrman, with red skin and horns, adorned in pte, reached out to rub Jaygak’s head. “Where is your sword?”

  Jaygak smiled. “I lost it on the way.”

  “You have lost your sword?” Gangak asked, raising her brow.

  Jaygak’s smirk betrayed more than she wanted, but Gangak left her be. She reached over to brush Kitool’s hair, and did the same for Jurot, while his grandfather was busy being bullied by his greatdaughter. She wao ask, but she decided against it, sihe tales would be told soon.

  “You did all the fighting?” Lanarot asked, the tiny girl staring up at her brother with curious delight.

  “I fought well,” Jurot replied, holding his sister close to his chest. “I will tell the tale soon.”

  “Papa, I am also fighting. Look.” Lanarot threw up her fist. “You see?”

  “I see,” Jurot firmed, staring down at his sister, who smiled so ily. Her face was so familiar with him, a perfect mix of his mother and father. It was a nostalgic face, and the childish innoce upon her face struck him deep within his heart. ‘I should have killed a dragon.’ It was theilled his heart. “Yrowing well.”

  “I am so big!” Lanarot flexed her arms, puffing out her chest. “I will fight iouroo?”

  “If you wish to fight iour, you may,” Jurot assured. “When you are bigger.”

  “I am so big now?”

  “Bigger.”

  “Bigger?”

  “Bigger,” Jurot firmed.

  Lanarot pouted, throwing her head to gowards her other brother. “Papa!” She pointed, direg her brother to take her to her other brother.

  “Look, papo is back too!” Adam said, letting his children go, havihem from their greatfather, smirking at the old man.

  “Unkal Jurot!” Jirot called, charging towards him, her twin brother following after. Her elder siblings, the triplets, also followed after them.

  “Jirot,” Jurot called, pg down Lanarot, who went to tackle her other brother. “Did you behave well?”

  Jirot smirked. “I always behave well.”

  “…”

  Jirot cackled, before hugging her uncle’s leg. “Smelly boy!”

  Jurot dropped down to a ko embrace the children one by one, ruffling their hair. “I missed you all.”

  “I did not,” Jirot replied, smirking still.

  “Even if you did not, I missed you.” Jurot ruffled her hair.

  “Papo!”

  “Yes?”

  “I do not like you.”

  “…”

  “Smelly papo! I love you!” Jirot climbed up to hug his neck, pnting a kiss on his cheek.

  “Papo…” Konarot called, before bowing her head and her uncle ruffled her hair, doing the same to each of her siblings.

  “Lanababy, did you miss me?” Adam asked, embrag his sister.

  “I missed you, papa,” Lanarot replied, hugging Adam back. She gnced up with her dark eyes towards him, taking in the sight of his features, as though she had fotten them. No, how could she fet, when he spoiled her so much? “Papa. You win?”

  “Ah? Did I win?” Adam replied, smiling slightly. “Papa Jurot will tell the story.”

  “I am so good at listening,” Lanarot said, sitting up taller, her lips pursed up with pride. “So good!”

  Adam felt how much bigger she felt within his arms. He pulled her closer to his chest, ruffling her hair tenderly. It was Lanarot who Adam had adored first, the girl having glued him to the Rot family. Adam gnced aside to Gangak. “How have you been, grandaunt?”

  “Well,” Gangak replied, ruffling the half elf’s hair. “How was your journey?”

  “It was…” Adam gowards Jurot. “Jurot will expin.”

  “Did something happen?”

  “Something, yeah.”

  “These old bones of mine are being cold,” Jarot growled. “Let us warm ourselves at the fire.”

  As the half elf approached the fire, nodding his head towards the businessfolk, from the farmers, to the Leads, to the Managers, his eyes theo a particur figure, who held a hornless red skinned babe within her arms. She wore a bck modesti from head to toe, only revealing her face, tan, save for the lightness of the burn marks on her lower jaw. The silver symbol of the sun y beh the holy symbol, denoting her rank within the Order.

  “Wele back,” Vonda greeted, her smile radiating warmly.

  “Yeah,” Adam replied, sitting down beside her, before iwining his fingers with hers. He leaned in to nuzzle her cheek, but did no more sihey were in public. “I missed you.”

  “I missed you too.” Her hazel eyes staring deep into Adam’s eyes.

  “Ah, and who is this adorable little, I mean, big boy?” Adam asked.

  Larot chose to ignore his father, staring bnkly at the world ahead.

  “Why are you bullying your father like this? Look at this guy, he turns two and suddenly he’s a big man?” Adam smiled wider. “I got you such a lovely gift!”

  Larot remaiaring at the world ahead.

  “Look, your kako has it right now,” Adam said, motioning to Jaygak, who hahe bde to Adam. The half elf uhed it, revealing the dark bde, speckled with the yellows and es of amber. The ft of the bde held a particur symbol, though it held no significe to the half elf. “It might not be magical, yet, but daddy, and your aunt, bought it just for you.”

  Larot’s eyes fell down to the bde, noting the symbol for a moment, before eyeing up the rest of the bde. ‘It is acceptable.’

  “Your aunt slew a gemtroll with it. Gemtrolls are pretty strong, you know?” Adam sheathed the bde, and pced it to the side. “I’ll have it sent to the Iyr, and I’ll pce it in your hoard.”

  ‘My what?’

  Jane closed her eyes, reag up to rub her forehead. Her heart threateo falter from all the stress. ‘Did he just give a fine bde like that to a baby boy?’

  “Miss?” a boy called. “Are you joinin’ the business?”

  “I was thinking about it.”

  “It’s a good business,” the boy said, nodding his head. “Are you strong?”

  “I like to think so.”

  “You strohan the Zecutives?”

  “I’m…” Jane smiled ily. “No, not quite, but I am Steel Rank.”

  “Oooh!” The boy’s eyes beamed up towards her. “That’s strong, that is!”

  Meanwhile, Jurot and Pam embraced one another, before the Iyrman took his pce beside his wife. He crossed his arms, doing his best not to aowledge it. He threw a look to the side, noting she was looking at him still, and he decided to close his eyes aer a meditation to keep himself calm.

  Adam waved his hand to the rest of the businessfolk, his eyes darting around the pce. ‘I guess everythi fine if Dunes hasn’t spoken to me?’

  “Hmph!” Jarot groaned. “Will you begiale, or will you wait until I have fallen asleep?”

  “Jaygak, why don’t you tell the tale?” Adam asked, leaning back. He took in the sight of all the familiar faces. He felt the weight of his twins as they climbed onto his p. He squeezed his wife’s haly. ‘Man. It’s good to be home.’

  However, his heart yearo see her too. His you daughter, who certainly had grown up far too much while he had been gone.

  ‘Is no one going to aowledge that…’ Jahen looked towards Lucy. ‘…’

  Lucy remained sitting still, tears falling within her soul. ‘I thought you loved me too…’

  “Kako!” Jirot called, reag out to Jaygak. “You e sit o me, okay?”

  A tear slipped down the side of Lucy’s cheek. ‘I’ll five you this once.’

  Poor Lucy...