“Why?” Adam asked. “Why are you all so cute?” Adam fawned over the six girls, Gurot’s cousins. Inakan pletely ignored him, but the two Devilkin girls, Kavgak and Tavgak, stared up at him. The pair had been sitting, pying with their blocks, but upon seeing Adam, they focused pletely on the Half Elf.

  Kavgak, Jaygak’s baby sister, was the rgest of all the children, even bigger than the likes of Gurot. Adam squeezed her cheeky together lightly, causio twitch backwards away from him, while Tavgak, Taygak’s baby sister, smiled up towards the Half Elf shyly and giggled.

  Minakan, Naqokan’s baby sister, ignored him too, just like her cousin, but partly because she sat by herself elsewhere from the children, and tio stack her blocks. Her face was torted with the focused tration of an Iyrman ready to slip a dagger between one’s ribs.

  Jitool, Kitool’s baby sister, would often bring herself to Jirot and Jarot. She showed off her blocks before pying alongside the twins. Her cousin, Maool, Faool’s baby sister, often pyed beside Karot, who would allow her to set the pace of their py. The boy picked up the blocks when they fell and hahem to her.

  “Jurot, it’s nht for them to be this cute,” Adam whispered.

  “Cutest In The Whole World,” Jurot replied.

  Adam’s eyes widened, aared down at all the children. “You’re a genius, Jurot.”

  Jurot blinked, w what Adam to. He had been whispering about the gifts he had prepared, but had immediately decided to fawhe babies instead.

  Adam inhaled deeply to try and calm himself. “Damokan, Kalokan,” Adam called out for the twins. “e here.”

  The boy and girl walked over to him. The pair had been keeping an eye on Inakan and their own sibling, who ying by herself.

  “Have you been good?” Adam asked.

  The pair nodded in reply.

  “What a silly question, of course you’ve been good,” Adam stated, nodding his head slowly. “I fot to give you two yifts, but I didn’t fet about you!”

  The pair bli him. They had waited for their gifts yesterday and assumed they had been fotten by their Cousin.

  Adam quickly left to find his leather sack, before he returned. He held out a pair s in hand, each made of a different etal. “I found these rings at a market, they were side by side, and I thought of you two instantly.” Adam held the rings out. “Perhaps iure they could be ented with something to protect you, but for now, just accept them as they are.” Adam winked.

  Damokan and Kalokan looked at the rings, one blue, and the other red. Damokan reached for the blue ring and Kalokan reached for the red ring. Adam narrowed his eyes. He swore that Damokan gave him a scale made of bloodsteel and Kalokan had given him one made of stormsteel. ‘These punks, are they givihe stuff they don’t like?’

  “Thank you,” the pair said, together, staring up at Adam with their i eyes.

  Adam could see it withihe eyes, the memory of the promise they had forced out of him. Adam smiled, reag up to ruffle their hair. “Grow up big and strong, okay?”

  “Okay,” the pair replied, together.

  “No, wait,” Adam whispered, frowning. “Stay small and cute forever.”

  They bli him, before retreating away. They held onto the ring within their fists, g it tight. ‘Protect…’

  “Naqokan, your siblings are so scary with how cute they are,” Adam whispered.

  “Yes,” Naqokan firmed, before realising something. She gnced around, almost beginning to panic.

  “Are you okay?” Adam asked.

  “Adam, I did n them a gift,” Naqokan whispered.

  Adam blinked. His eyes stated that she wasn’t allowed to do that, but his mind rushed in a buzz. “Naqokan, didn’t you want to speak with the Elder?”

  “What?” Naqokan replied.

  “You know, for that thing,” Adam said, raising his brows towards her. “The two things that you wanted? You let the Elder know that the Enter will deal with the payment.”

  Naqokan narrowed her eyes towards Adam, before she suddenly uood what he meant. “Yes. Thank you.”

  Adam nodded, before sighing. Then he looked at the other teens. “Did you guys o speak with the Elder too about anything?”

  Nirot and Faool stood up, realising that they had made a mistake, and quickly fled to the Elder too.

  ‘These punks,’ Adam thought. ‘How they do that to their little brothers and sisters? Should I beat the ability to love their siblings into them?’

  “It is Maool and Minakan’s birthdays tomorrow,” Jurot said. “It is Jitool’s birthday the day after. Have you bought their gifts?”

  “Have I bought their gifts?” Adam asked, almost scoffing. “Jurot, are you starting a fight with me?”

  “No.”

  “Have I bought their gifts? Have I bought their gifts! The utter audacity! Jurot, you call me an idiot. You call me a damn fool. But to ask if I’ve bought gifts for the six princesses?”

  “There are no-,”

  “Jurot, I’ve never been more offended by any question in my life!” Adam picked up Konarot, huffing slightly. “Did you hear that, Konarot? Do you see how your uncle bullies your father? I ’t believe it.”

  Kred up at Jurot, pointing up at him. “Stop!” She then ed her arms around her father’s head and hugged him, kissing her father’s forehead before brushing his hair babsp;

  Jurot thought about the question he asked. “It was a stupid question.”

  “I ’t believe it,” Adam whispered. “I spent all this time ag like an idiot for these kids and you dare to suggest I’d fet their birthdays. Did you fet how much money I spent on the gifts?” Adam then he way the adult Iyrmen looked his way. “Obviously not enough, but it was more than a bit.”

  “How much did you spend?” Sonarot asked.

  Adam felt her gaze on the back of his head. “Hmmm. I don’t remember exactly how much I spent?”

  “Do you know the estimate?”

  “…” Adam wasn’t sure if he should admit to how much he had spent. “Less thahousand.”

  ‘Did he spend more than a hundred gold?’ Sonarot thought, reag up to rub her forehead. ‘Adam.’

  “I think it was less than a thousand…” Adam whispered. “No, no, it must be less than a thousand. I’m not that stupid, am I?”

  ‘Did he really spend a thousand?’ Jogak thought, staring at the Half Elf.

  Eventually, Adam was saved. He, along with Jurot and Kitool, made their way to the park. Sonarot also came with them, bringing along Adam’s five children. The older children also went with them, holding the hands of their younger siblings. Citool, Lavgak, and Arokan brought up the rear, in order to keep an eye on the babies, and to take a break from the newborns. The teens had remained behind at the shared family estate, sihey would have their own time to be showered in praise.

  ‘Ah, so it’s a barbecue?’ Adam thought, several older Iyrmen each were cutting pieeat to fry and grill them, the food out to Adam and the others, as well as the visiting Iyrmen who had e to greet Jurot and the others who had pced well.

  The youth were especially excited. They were going to meet those who had pced so well, during the most turbulent time of the Iyr, when it’s gates were closed. The young teens greeted those who had pced, before the younger children were allowed to, then, finally, the toddlers were made to shake their hands.

  They each took their turns to speak of their fights. Adam looked to Jurot for support, his brother choosing to assist Adam in telling his tale. Adam only spoke of his battle against Sir Karra and Sir Roseia.

  “So I beat them up,” Adam said, holding up his ched fist. “Orike. One kill.” Adam made a noise as he puhrough the air, audibly shifting the air.

  “Oooh!” The Iyrmen children cpped.

  “I had to surrehough.”

  “Why?” a child asked.

  “Because…” Adam crossed his arms, sighing. “They were nobles.”

  “They were nobles,” the child replied, before bobbing his head up and down, uanding why Adam had to surrehe other children oo, with the younger few not quite uanding why.

  “You, too, must do well to honour your aors,” Jurot said. “You do not have to fight in a tour, but you should do well for the Iyr.”

  “Yeah,” Adam said, nodding his head. “Not just for your aors though. You all have little siblings, don’t you?”

  “Yes,” the children replied.

  “Good. Make sure you do well to honour your aors, but also make sure you help out your little brothers and sisters. Jurot and I came first and third, but just you wait until Lanarot grows up.”

  Lanarot looked over their way, stig a piece of bread into her mouth. She had heard her name, and gnced between her brothers. She blinked, chewing her bread slowly, before furrowing her brows at Adam questioningly.

  Adam lifted her up and pced her onto his p. He rubbed her stomach gently. “Are you happy? Your papas pced well iour.”

  “Stwong?” Lanarot asked.

  “Yes, your papa is very strong,” Adam firmed.

  Lanarot smiled, before Adam a torn bit of bread. She gowards her other brother. “Papa, stwong?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good,” she said, breaking him some bread too before it to him. “Eat. Stwong.”

  “That’s right,” Adam firmed, brushing her hair. “Eat up the bread and bee strong.”

  Lanarot smiled. “Yes!” She held up her arms and flexed them for her brothers.

  “Wow! Do you see how strong my little sister is?” Adam kissed her cheek. “Lanarot, yoing to protect me now, aren’t you?”

  “Yes!” Lanarot smiled even wider.

  Adam beamed down towards his children with the rgest smile. “See? Your daddy is strong!”

  Konarot pat Adam’s leg, befiving him a thumbs up. “Good.”

  Adam’s lips formed a cheeky smirk, and he did his best not to ugh. “You know what? ime daddy will e first pce! I won’t let aop me!”

  “Oooh!” the Iyrmen children replied, g their haedly towards the statement.

  Strong.