Adam watched the children py from his bench. A group of Iyrmen children had e up to the triplets, before the leader stopped them, approag the triplets alone. After a moment of apprehension, and a nod from their father, the triplets went to py with the Iyrmen children, who were chatting happily about their stories.

  “They are growing well,” Tonagek said, sitting beside Adam. He wore a breastpte, and carried at his side a longsword.

  “Yeah,” Adam said. He fell silent for a moment, recalling Tonagek’s story. “Thank you again.”

  Tonagek bowed his head, remaining silent for a long while. There was so much he wao speak with Adam about, but he wasn’t sure where to begin. “I am gd they are safe.”

  “Yeah. Thank you again, again.”

  “Is there a need for thanks between us?” Tonagek asked. “My sister has adopted you into the Rot family. We are ners.”

  “I’m not the kind whose stingy with his gratitude,” Adam replied, smiling slightly. “If I was, then I wouldn’t deserve to be their father.”

  “It will be difficult to raise them. They are Half Dragons, and part Elf. They will have the needs ons, and they will be targeted because of it.”

  “Yeah.”

  “There is o raise them aloonagek said, quietly. “Sister will take good care of them, so you must not allow the world to press on you. There will be times when you will be uo take care of them, and you should not be afraid to ask for support.”

  “It’s a good thing I’m shameless,” Adam replied, smiling wider.

  “Are you?”

  “I’m not afraid to ask for the support of my Aunt and the others.”

  “That is not true.”

  Adam raised his brow to the Iyrman beside him. “What do you mean?”

  Tonagek sighed, thinking past to his childhood. “It is difficult to hide ohoughts from my sister. She read your face as though you were a story within the Iyr.”

  “Is that why Jurot see the retioween people?” Adam asked.

  “He certainly is sister’s child.”

  “He is Jurot, son of Surot.”

  Tonagek bowed his head, though he khat would soon ge. “Did you enjoy the festival?”

  “Yeah, I did. The Iyr’s festivals are always so great, what with all the eai and the food.” Adam chuckled quietly as his thought. “This festival was the first I didn’t work even once, I think.”

  “I have heard that you are addicted to work.”

  “Something like that.”

  Tonagek looked out to the three children who had almost been his own. In another life he would be their father, and in another, he would have found them and hahem to the Iyr for his son would have still been alive.

  “You must look after them well, Adam,” Tonagek said.

  “I will.”

  “You are like an Iyrman in many ways, and I hope you are also like an Iyrman when raising your children.”

  “I don’t know what you mean by that exactly, but if you’re askio take good care of them and to prepare them for the future, isn’t that what it means to be a father? A parent?”

  Tonagek bowed his head again, and remained silent as he fell into his thoughts again.

  Konarot stumbled her way to her father, holding up her arms. He lifted her up, before the younger siblings also made their way, holding up their arms to be lifted. He lifted the pair up, allowing them to themselves around him. Konarot peeked up towards Tonagek. She raised up her hand to reach for Tonagek, who held out a finger, which the girl clutched tightly. She purred like a kitten towards him, before letting go of the finger, aurning to her father’s chest to cuddle.

  “That’s right,” Adam said, kissing her forehead. “This is nana’s brother and he helped you, so you better be thankful to him, okay?”

  Konarot replied with a sweet, gentle purr, but she remained against her father’s chest where she felt most fortable. Seeing Tonagek, who had helped them find their father, reminded her of the time they had been in the bandit’s captivity. Kirot looked to Tonagek, before resting her head against her father’s shoulder. Karot stared up at Tonagek, half hanging against his father.

  “Where are your you?” Tonagek asked, careful with his words.

  “They’re with their babo,” Adam replied, frowning slightly. “That old geezer, he won’t eveheir father take them out to the park. Just because he beat me up, he thinks he do anything he wants.”

  Tonagek was used to Adam’s antics, though the pair had hardly ever met. Whenever he and his sister spoke, she always mentiohe enigma that was Adam, a being that couldn’t be uood through the lens of an Iyrman.

  “You remind me of my sister’s father,” Tonagek admitted. “He was always a little queer, though he ged after the death of his children, especially his son.”

  “Farot?”

  Tonagek nodded. “It was that he adored Farot the most. When sister married Surot, I met them often, and saw how close he was with Farot. Farot ecial, for he was born with a weak body. He trained greater than most Iyrmen, but was weaker than most Iyrme, he did not give up. I admired that about him. I was strohan him, a I was envious of his grit, his fortitude.”

  “Churot is growing up well too,” Adam said.

  The mention of his nephew caused Too fall into thought for a moment. “His queerness increased after the death of his children. He fought with my father o was after I was married, but before my sister was married. I heard of his wildness in his youth, and I saw that wildness when he fought my father. My father owerful for his age, but even he could not stand against the storm known as Jarot.”

  Adam recalled falling under Jarot’s axe. He was an old man who was missing an arm, but when they fought, with Adam wielding a powerful bde at his side, the old man still pletely beat him. Adam had mao deal so much damage, ahe old man had refused to fall. Rather than a storm, Adam couldn’t help but think the old man was a wall.

  “I only imagihe heights he could have reached if his son had not died back then. I still do not know what his pns were, but I’m sure that he would have bee a Paragon. He may have bee a Great Elder if he wished, for he opur enough.”

  “He was?”

  “There were few who did not hear of Jarot,” Tonagek said, almost smiling. “He cshed with the Great Elders often. It was then that Chief Iromin, Elder Zijin, and the Elder Peace we know took their roles. If he wished, he could have taken the position of Elder Teacher, or perhaps…” Tonagek paused. “No, he could not have cimed the title of Elder Wrath.”

  “You’re talking about Bavin?”

  “Bovin.”

  Adam sat up straighter, trying to remember who Bavin was. ‘ht, the grandson, Lavin’s brother.’ “Yeah, Bovin.”

  “Jarot opur, but everyone in the Iyr khat Bovin was better. He was one of the very feon his title with a near unanimous vote.”

  “Really? What was it?”

  “o one.”

  Adam whistled, causing his children to squirm for a moment. He nuzzled against them to calm them down. “That’s a ndslide if I’ve ever heard of one.”

  “Losing his arm did very little to weaken him, but losing his son crippled him. I did not uand why, for he was still someone who possessed great strength. If he wished, he could have tio do more. He could have takele of Family Elder, and pushed for more from the Rot family. No Iyrman would have been surprised if the Rot family would have taken at least one spot as a Great Elder.”

  Adam smiled, about to joke, before realising what Tonagek was trying to say. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

  Tonagek nodded his head slowly. “I uand now. I uand why Jarot did not take his pce as the Family Elder. I uand why he remained with Churot, trapped by his memories.”

  “You’re the Gek Family Head, aren’t you?” Adam asked.

  “I am.”

  “Are you pnning on dropping that title?” Adam asked.

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “Danagek is even bigger than Gurot,” Tonagek said. “My nephew may be rge, but you should e and see my son.”

  “Your son is bigger than Gurot?” Adam let out a scoff. “That’s a big boy.”

  “He is. He is big, and he will bee a great warrior. He is built for it. Perhaps he will bee a Great Elder?”

  “Gurot is quite a big boy, and he’ll bee a great, strong warrior, but did you know about his older brother?”

  “Turot?” Tonagek asked.

  “Yes.”

  “What of him?”

  “He’s going to bee Elder Peace.”

  Click banner for Patreon!

  Just another sad dad chapter.