Konarot rushed up towards the entrance of the shared estate, followed by her siblings, who bounced with joy with each step. She hugged the purple leg and pressed her cheek against the etal. Kirot and Karot also grabbed at the metallic figure, their rings pressed up against his puthral armour from their neckbsp;

  “Papa! Is papa!” Lanarot squealed, hoisting herself up onto her feet with a grunt before she charged her brothers.

  Adam bowed his head to Jurot, who stepped forward and lifted the girl up, huggiight. Meanwhile, Adam stared down at his children through his visor. He removed his helmet, his narrow eyes staring suspiciously at the triplets before him, while another pair of squeals filled the air, before their tiny green forms appeared behind their eldest siblings.

  “Hmmm…” Adam narrowed his eyes further.

  “Daddy,” Konarot called, blinking up at him expetly.

  “Who are these handsome young women and men?” Adam asked, his eyes still full of suspi.

  Konarot arched her bad narrowed her eyes towards her father, before she hugged his leg again. Her silver tail swayed from side to side, dragging across the floor.

  “I reise Jirot and Jarot, of course, sihey’re so small and cute.” Adam tried to squat down to rub their heads, but his triplets kept him pinned, so he merely reached out with his hands so the pair could hold his hands with their tiny little green hands. “Who are these three handsome little, uh, big ones?”

  “Papa!” Lanarot called as she was set down before she rushed up towards her brother.

  “Lanababy, did you miss me?” Adam asked, reag down a hand so she could hold it, but the girl bounced excitedly.

  “I miss you so much!”

  Adam gnced away, as though struck by a heavy blow, before he shimmied his way through his triplets to squat down. He hugged Lanarot first, kissing her fad neck all over. “I missed you too.”

  “No, I missed you.”

  “Yes, yes, that’s right.” Adam chuckled before letting her free, the little girl taking a step back so she could see his face properly.

  Lanarot smiled and giggled, g her haedly, before she turo find her mother. “Mama! Look! Is papa! Is papa!” She poi her brothers with a bde like thrust.

  “Jirot, Jarot, e,” Adam called, embrag the tiny little goblins, who he hoisted up against his chest. “e, you must take me to Konarot, Kirot, and Karot.”

  “Kaka?” Jirot asked, before pointing down to her eldest sibling. “Konawoh.”

  “What? Since when did you speak so well?” Adam asked, peppering her with kissed, before doing the same with his you son. “Didn’t I tell you to stay small and cute?”

  “No!” Jirot cackled, g her haedly.

  “I should have expected as much from you, you little troublemaker.” Adam blew a raspberry into her neck, before he returned his attention to the triplets. “So these are your eldest siblings?”

  “Kaka, papa,” Jirot firmed.

  “How this be? Are you really my Konarot, Kirot, and Karot?” Adam asked. The triplets nodded oheir silver hair boung as they did. “Really?”

  “Yes,” Konarot stated.

  “Jurot, how this be? These children, aren’t they too big to be my triplets? My triplets, they’re only a year old, aren’t they? These children, no matter how adorable they may be, aren’t they too big? They’re at least two years old, aren’t they?

  ‘Should I stop it now?’ Jurot asked, but sidering how dour Adam was iher world, he decided to let it go. “They have grown.”

  “What? How you do this to daddy? You grew up while I was gohis betrayal will never be fotten!” Adam squatted down once more, trying to pull all five of his children into a single hug. “I’ll five you just this once since you’re so cute, but you ot do it again.”

  “Daddy…” Konarot ed her arms around her father’s neck, pulling him in close.

  Adam remained kneeling for some time as he embraced his children. A torrent of joy filled him, quickly washing away the darkness rooted within his heart from the other world. He could feel their warmth against his face, smell the ois rubbed into their skin, aheir soft breathing and mews of joy at being within their father’s arms.

  Jurot brushed Lanarot’s hair, causing the girl to giggle before she hugged his leg once more. Jurot’s eyes fell to the other four children of the Rot family. One remained upon their back, too young to do much else, while another young boy stared up at him from beside his two elder brothers.

  “I have returned.”

  “Wele back, cousin Jurot,” Turot said, sitting awkwardly at the table as he waited for their cousins to e to them.

  “Turot, how you sit there like that?” Adam asked, huffing. He led his children to the table, before he held out his arms for one of the boys. “How you leave me like this?”

  Asorot stared up at Adam fused, but he embraced the half elf, the pair hugging one another.

  “Have you been well, my Turot?” Adam asked.

  Asorot blinked, befng towards his elder brother, the boy known as Turot. Turot blioo, before tilting his head.

  “Jurot, do you see how he’s ign me?”

  “…” Jurot wasn’t sure what Adam to.

  “If you bully me like this, I’ll tell your aunt,” Adam hoisted the boy up in his arms, befently swaying with him as he hugged the young boy.

  “Cousin Adam, I am not Turot.”

  “Huh?” Adam pulled back slightly. “No, no, you must be Turot. Who but my Turot be this well behaved.”

  Turot huffed from his seat, looking towards Jurot for support. “I am Turot, cousin Adam.”

  “You? Aren’t you Elder Peace?”

  Turot blinked, before his lips formed a ile. “No. I am not Elder Peace.”

  “Silly cousin Adam,” Katool called from her sister’s arms, hugging Kitool tight. Her tiny hair was cut into a bob once more, and she wore a ring against her neck, the same as the triplets. “You are joking too much.”

  “That defiance only be from my little Katool,” Adam retorted, before reag up for the girl, who pulled away from him to hug her sister tighter.

  “You see this? Katool has turned seven years old and has bee this cheeky. This is what happens when you bee big. That’s why I told you to stay small and cute too.”

  “I am cute,” Katool replied, before looking up towards her sister expetly.

  “Yes,” Kitool replied.

  “Raygak, will you bully me too?” Adam asked, looking towards the boy, who was standing right beside Jaygak.

  “You deserve it, cousin Adam,” he said, before quickly hiding behind his sister’s legs, peeking out from the side.

  “Do you think Jaygak will protect you from me?” Adam warned.

  “My sister is the stro!” Raygak decred, pointing at Adam, as though to dare him to e.

  “Asorot, will you bully me?” Adam asked, ruffling the boy’s hair.

  “No.”

  “I knew I could trust you.”

  “Will you tio tease them?” Sonarot asked, pig up Murot, who was squirming and grumbling for milk.

  “I don’t have enough time to keep teasing them since I have so many more adorable cousins to bully,” Adam said, his eyes snapping turot. The boy had been drinking his bottle of milk peacefully, but as Adam’s eyes sowards him, he froze ihe boy stared into Adam’s eyes before he finally smiled, going back to drinking from his bottle. “The only one whose allowed to grow bigger is my Gurot, but only because he’s such a ky boy.”

  “What of Kavgak?” Sonarot asked.

  “Okay, Kavgak too,” Adam relented.

  Once Adam was doh his stupidity, he doffed his armour, returning back to the courtyard. The four walls around him filled him with a greater sense of relief, the inner courtyard of the shared estate greater than any fort across all the nds. As he sat down, swarmed by his children, he y bato his seat. He gnced around, towards his friends and family, and then to all the children around him. ‘At least Murot didn’t grow up too much while I was gone.’

  “Back!” Taygak called out, noting the return of her four cousins. She hugged Jaygak first, befreeting the rest of them with a hug.

  “Taygak, you have grown too much,” Adam said, huggiight.

  “No,” the girl replied simply, returning back to her siblings, greeting them. She kissed Tavgak’s forehead, before she lifted up her cousin, Kavgak, bringio Adam. “Big girl.” She showed off her cousin to the half elf.

  “That’s right, isn’t she so ky?” Adam smiled, reag up to rub Kavgak’s hair, while the girl shyly pulled her head back. “Have you all fotten me? Gurot, have you fotteoo?”

  Gurot gowards Adam and smiled towards him. “Adda.” He started to ugh and squeal, his body shaking as he did.

  “I’m only fiving you all because you’re safe ahy.” Adam’s eyes fell to Inakan, who squi her food, slowly bringing it up to her mouth. She chewed slowly, her eyes unfocused at the food before her. Thankfully, Damokan and Kalokan watched over the girl, making sure she was eating properly.

  The triplets perked up from their meal, and the sounds of wood striking the flan to grow louder. Adam sighed, ing his arms around his twins, pulling them to his chest.

  “You have returned,” the old one armed, one legged Iyrman called, while the twins smiled towards their babo.

  “You couldn’t even give me a day to py with my children in peace?” Adam grumbled.

  “I missed my little twins too,” the horned woman behind the old man admitted, wearing a belt of gourds across her front.

  Jirot and Jarot reached up for the red skinned horned woman eagerly, smiling and squealing for her. Adam surrendered his twins to the woman, uo refuse her, si was Gangak.

  Old Jarot grunted as he dropped beside his grandsons, rubbing his knee, before eyeing the pair up, trying to spot any new scars. Si was a tale to do with Jurot and Adam, he k would be good, though he would be uo hear the tale until the children were put to bed.

  “Daddy,” Konarot called.

  “Yes?”

  “Bird friend gone?”

  “Your what friend?” Adam asked, furrowing his brows disapprovingly.

  “Bird friend gone.”

  “Bird friend?”

  Konarot nodded, causing her father to let out a sigh of relief. He rubbed her head gently. “Perhaps your bird friend has gone back to their family?”

  “Okay…” Konarot pouted.

  Jarot shared a knowing look with Sonarot. ‘How dare they kill my greatdaughter’s bird friend.’ He reached up to brush the girl’s cheek tenderly, his thick, rough hands brushing against her smooth skin. The girl leaned up against her babo, her tail swayily.

  Sonarot could see the look within the old man’s eyes, and she wondered if he really would cause a mess. She exged a look with Mirot, who motioned her head to Adam and Jurot, who would no doubt be able to stop the old man’s rampage if he decided to do something. The Rot family was now filled with two troublemakers, one by the name of Jarot, and the other by the name of Adam.

  At the very least, Adam was afraid of the Iyr.

  ‘How he steal her away from me like this?’ Adam thought.

  Sonarot let out a sigh, realising Adam may still cause a mess if it was for his children. The role of a Family Head was truly burdeh the likes of those two.

  “ge,” Jurot said.

  Adam bolted upright. “What?”

  “ge.”

  “I didn’t even say anything.”

  “You were thinking it.”

  “Asorot, do you see?”

  Asorot smiled shyly. “ge.”

  “…”

  “Cousin Adam, look,” Katool called, pulling her hair behind her ears before she tilted her head upwards.

  “Oh my, oh my, where did you get that tiara?”

  “Sister gifted for my birthday,” Katool said, smiling wide. “I am too pretty.” She shook her head, causing her hair to bounce.

  Adam chuckled. “It’s unfair if you’re that cute, Katool.”

  “It is okay, cousin Adam, because I am cute.”

  “When did your sister bee so smart?” Adam whispered loudly.

  “Katool has always been so smart,” Kitool replied firmly.

  “Yes!” Katool fshed her wide grin, before hiding beside her sister, giggling.

  “Gifts?” Taygak asked.

  “We’ll give the gifts soon,” Adam assured the young Iyrman.

  “Okay.”

  Meanwhile, the Great Elders gathered together, though one of the seats remaiy. Even after a week, Iromin wasn’t sure how he was going to expiter to the rest of the Great Elders.

  ‘Elder Story, when will you return?’

  How they grow up?

  Just a remihat the Iyr is not Lyr but iyr. Iyr, like Irend.

  Rot is also pronounced row, as in to row your boat gently dowream.