“How could you do this to me?” The old Jarot growled aloud, before ing his arm around his greatchildren, who stormed towards him.

  “How could you do this to me?” Adam growled aloud, before ing his arms around his cousin, who had appeared with the rest of the children. “Gurot, how could you bee kier without me?”

  Gurot smiled shyly, sug against his thumb for a moment, before cag with ughter as he cpped his hands together. He felt Adam’s hard chest against his cheek, snuggling up to it as his cousin held him close, feeling the rge, strong hand through his hair.

  “Cousin Adam, I should greet him first,” Nirot said.

  “…”

  “…”

  “Nirot, how you do this to me?” Adam asked, before surrendering the boy towards his elder sister. His eyes fell to Asorot and Turot. “You o keep her busier so I spoil Gurot more.”

  “Okay,” Turot and Asorot both replied, their smiles holding a hint of shyness.

  A gentle smile twitched upon Adam’s face. “You two! Look at how handsome you’ve both bee! Wait, hold on, I messed that up.”

  Turot and Asorot both smiled in response, each standing a little taller.

  “No, no, hold on, firstly…” Adam’s eyes fell to Asorot, who blinked up towards Adam ily. “Who is this handsome young man?”

  Turot snickered. “Cousin Adam, you ot!”

  “I ot?”

  Turot pointed up towards Adam, still smiling, doing his best not to ugh. “You ot bully my little brother.”

  Adam could feel the brightness of his cousin as the young boy tio point towards him, with the fearlessness only an Iyrman child knew. “I see. If the future Elder Peace says so, then I ot.”

  Turot inhaled sharply before he patted the side of Adam’s leg gently, slowly nodding his head with approval. “Yes.”

  “Asorot, look at you, you’ve grown so big.” Adam dropped down and brushed the boy’s hair. He had been brushing so much hair, his hair was beginning to feel raw from the tips. “Has Turot been bullying you?”

  “No.”

  “I do not bully my brother!”

  “If Turot bullies you, you tell me and I’ll sort it out, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “I will not bully you.” Turot hugged his younger brother close.

  “Okay.” Asorot embraced his brother back tenderly.

  ‘They’re all so cute, these cousins of mine…’ Adam waited for the children to greet their elder siblings.

  Gurot smiled shyly towards Nirot. “Kaka.” He grabbed her chtly with his wet hand as he stared up at her. He started giggling wildly as she tio stare down into his eyes, leaning in to nuzzle his nose, before pulling back, the boy bursting intiggles.

  “Minakan,” Naqokan called, causing the girl to look towards her sister for a moment, before resting her head bato her elder sister’s shoulder, sug her thumb lightly. Naqokan decided against doing more, allowing the girl to cuddle up to her.

  “Tavgak, you are so big,” Laygak said. The girl gnced down towards her other brother, before hiding her face with her hands, gng through the cracks of her fingers, before hiding her fato her eldest brother’s chest.

  “Yes,” Taygak agreed, nodding her head.

  Laygak ruffled Taygak’s hair. “Are you training well?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good, Tavgak will look up to you, so you must grow well.”

  “Yes.”

  “Saygak…” Laygak said, noting his brother’s expet eyes. “I know you are behaving well, since you are my Saygak.” He brushed his brother’s hair tenderly, the boy flushing slightly as he ehe attention of his brother’s affe.

  “Saygak, good,” Taygak firmed.

  “Yes, I am sure he is.”

  Saygak tio flush as he stood taller, his entire face hot with joy, his lips slightly puckered in the way to try to deny all the attention.

  Maool held onto her brother’s shoulder with her hands, staring up at him ily. The girl blinked, watched as her brother blinked, before she blinked again, the pair repeatedly blinkiween one another.

  “Hello,” Faool said, holding her with one arm to one side.

  “Hayo,” the girl replied, staring at her elder brother. “Papa back.”

  “Yes. I have returned.”

  “Yes,” the girl said, still staring up towards her brother, blinking with him.

  “Jitool is such a good girl,” Katool said as Kitool picked her younger sister up. “Always listening.”

  “Yes, Jitool?”

  Jitool giggled, hugging her sister’s head, rubbing their cheeks together. Kitool pced a hand atop the girl’s head, gently embrag her. The pair shared their warmth together, Kitool hearing the gently breathing of her sister, the way her breath tickled against her neck.

  “Katool, you have been w hard.”

  “Yes,” the girl replied, her bob boung with a nod of her head. “I am always w hard, kaka.”

  “Yes.”

  Katool smiled in response, crossing her arms behind her back, letting out a prideful snort. “Yes.”

  ‘How is she so heavy?’ Jaygak thought, noting the half gre within her sister’s eyes. She was the rgest of all the children, and that vice grip against her colr threateo tear her clothing at the seams. “Yrowing well.”

  “Mik?” the girl asked.

  “You want milk?”

  “Mama,” the girl said, pointing out, before she saw her father to the side. “Dada.”

  “Father ot give you milk.”

  Kavgak’s eyes narrowed towards her elder sister. “Kaka.”

  “Yes?”

  Kavgak reached up and pat Jaygak’s head gently. “Good.”

  “…” Jaygak gowards Raygak, noting the expet look within his eyes. “Are you training with Stormdrake well?”

  “Yes.”

  “Kavgak, is Raygak treating you well?”

  Kavgak’s head sowards Raygak. She held out her hands towards him. “Papa.”

  Jaygak surrendered Kavgak tak, feeling a sense of great loss within her heart. She ighe look Adam was giving to her, uo take the smirk upon his face.

  “Now, now…” Adam cleared his throat, his gaze floating to the side. “Since Amokan isn’t around, I suppose I’ll have to be the oo spoil Inakan.”

  “She is my cousin,” Naqokan said.

  “Your arms are already filled with Minakan.” Adam narrowed his eyes slightly, sending out a pressure against the young Iyrman.

  Shika out a gentle sigh. “Inakan,” he said, pg a hand atop her head, gatheritention. The girl gowards her father, leaning in to stare at his face. “Kaza Adam has returned.”

  The girl twitched, before she found herself withirong arms of another. She gnced across the chiselled jaw, which seemed familiar, then the handsome face, and finally those leaf shaped ears. She smiled wide, before cag. “Kaza Ada!”

  “Gosh, my adorable little Inakan, how are you?”

  Inakan giggled wildly, before closing her eyes, looking away from him. She tio cackle and giggle, uo trol herself.

  ‘Amokan! You idiot! You o get back here and spoil your sister!’ Adam swayed slightly, as though struck by her adorableness. “Inakan is surely the most adorable of the…” Adam wasn’t sure if he could say that. The other children’s faces fshed within his mind.

  “Oh, my dear Inakan. How is the world so unfair to you?” Adam pulled her head to his neck, allowio snuggle up to him. ‘Don’t worry. Now that your cousin is back, I’m going to make sure that you’ll be okay.’

  Shikan watched as Adam tenderly held his daughter so close to himself. He had every right to as a Nephew of the Rot family, but he had taken a step further to codify that in writing from the Chief. ‘Amokan.’ Shikan’s eyes narrowed slightly as he sent out his annoyao the world towards his son.

  ‘Hey, Bell, how much to ent some-,’

  “How you greet the children before you greet me?” the one armed Iyrman growled.

  “I should greet them first since I’ll inspire them with how crazy I am.”

  “You!” Jarot replied, though he couldn’t refute the young man’s words. “How you take my greatchildren from me.”

  “They’re my children.”

  “Do you believe I will not beat you?”

  “Do you think with that new leg of yours, you beat me?”

  “It would be a fair fight,” Jarot said, leaning back slightly, his wild grin expanding on his face. He stood taller than previously, the new metal leg at his side far more fortable than the wooden leg he wore previously.

  “Stop it,” Jirot said, pointing towards her greatfather. “You ah bullying daddy! Not good!”

  “Your father wishes to fight.”

  “Yown up,” the girl said, wagging her fi her greatfather. “You must be good now.”

  “Okay,” Jarot replied, smirking wide towards his greatfather.

  Adam ruffled Inakan’s hair. He whispered into the girl’s ear, the girl feeling his tig breath. “My biggest regret in this life is not beating up the FIrst Hope. Otherwise, would my darling daughter treat me this way?”

  Inakan giggled in respoo his words, her breath tig his face. Her warmth spread through Adam, the joy in her voice causing his heart to pound in his chest harder. The guilt filled him.

  ‘Inakan…’ Adam closed his eyes. He tried to recall how many times he had shifted Fate back then. He had no idea if his abilities had anything to do with her near sightedness. ‘Bell’s taking a whi-,’

  [20 000]

  My heart always feels so light when we see our cute kids.