Korin diced the onions, wiping away his tears with his forearm. The crag fire heated the pot, the oil already beginning to bubble and pop, before he swiped the onions into the oil, causing it to burst to life. As the sizzling onions cooked, he began to pour in the various spices, a teaspoon of most spices, a tablespoon of another.

  Julia stopped g the meat, noting the children were all gathering together, before shambling towards the entrance. She began to stand, but a swifter trio of women were already darting towards the children.

  Dunes grunted as he twisted the wheel, allowing the drawbridge to fall, before he opehe gates with Amira’s assistanbsp;

  “Wa!” Jirot said, her head stig out of the side of the carriage, while her nano’s arm kept her from pulling too far away. “Is a foat!”

  Konarot peeked her head out slightly, staring at the rge walls. ‘Small.’

  The carriages swiftly crossed the bridge, through the gatehouse, tinuing further ahead, slowing as the children stared at them. Viper moved them along the side path between the fields and the estate, allowing the carriages to pass through the gate house and into the inner area of the fort, before the carriages finally stopped. The Iyrmen stepped out, the children following after.

  “It is a very nice fort,” Turot said, smiling towards Adam.

  “It is, isn’t it?” Adam replied, ruffling the boy’s hair. “This is the fort which your cousins have worked hard to procure.”

  The Aldish children watched as the Iyrmen poured out of the carriages, all of whom wore tattoos they had bee familiar with during their travels. The Iyrmen who had remained within the freeted the newers, also greeting the children by brushing their hair.

  “Marmak,” Jarot called, growling towards the older man, who wore a smile on his face like one might wear armour. He also wore the Iyr’s furs, along with a rge greatsword across his babsp;

  ‘Marmak?’ Duhought, gng towards the Iyrman who had not yet introduced himself and had kept to himself while he was around.

  “Jarot,” Marmak called, reag up to ruffle the red skinned baby’s hair. “Is this yreatson.”

  “He is Larot, son of Adam.”

  “He is growing well.”

  Jarot growled affirmatively. “You are within the fort?”

  “I was tasked with the watch.”

  ‘I did know they sent Marmak.’

  Jirot and Jarot held their nano’s hands, staring out towards all the other children, each who were definitely not Iyrmen, for they did not carry themselves with the ck of fear the Iyrmen children carried with them. Konarot remaianding beside her grandmother, along with Kirot and Karot, while Lanarot held Adam’s hand.

  Adam lifted his sister up, carrying her against his chest as he stepped up towards the others. “Hello everyone, how are you all?”

  The children stared up towards Adam, their eyes falling down onto the rest of the visitors who had appeared.

  “Are they causing trouble?”

  “As much trouble as children may cause,” Dunes replied.

  “They should at least cause that much trouble.” Adam gnced across the porters and farmers. ‘I should show off my kids to everyone.’

  “It smells good,” Lanarot said.

  “Korin is cooking,” Dunes replied. “Should I ask him to make some bread?”

  Lanarot smiled shyly. “Yes.”

  “Yes, what?” Adam asked.

  “Peas,” the girl added, tapping her with her hand.

  The Iyrmen quickly settled themselves withiate, while Adam gathered all the newers to the region, from the porters to the farmers. They were gng across the children of the Iyrmen, though their eyes fell to some in particur.

  ‘No horns?’ Jeremy thought, his eyes glued to the child held within the Iyrman’s single arm.

  ‘…’ Ivy eyed up the children with green skin, noting one of them was slightly greyer, while two of them were more true green, and more armingly, with no tusks.

  “I hope the fort is treating you well?” Adam asked, gng across the nodding forms of the workers. “We still have some work to do in the Iyr, but I thought it would be best for you to all meet our families, while also meeting with some of the Directors of the business.”

  ‘The Directors?’ Rick thought, already on edge from meeting so many Iyrmen. The other Iyrmen about had been Iyrmen, those assigo protect the fort, but these Iyrmen were different. These Iyrmen Adam had brought held some sway within his business, and apparently they were also his bosses’ bosses.

  “First, I should probably introduce the President of the business.”

  A chill rippled through the workers, their eyes snapping towards the woman Adam motioowards. She had dark hair and dark eyes, her smile light and professional, definitely one who held a high position within the Iyr itself.

  “This is President Sonarot. You might be more familiar with her son, Executive Jurot.”

  John’s eyes snapped between Sonarot and Jurot, noting the subtle simirities between them. However, it paled in parison to how much the little girl looked like her.

  “It is wonderful to meet you all,” Sonarot said, smiling motherly. “I hope you will work hard for the business.”

  “You should also meet the Directors,” Adam said, introdug Mirot, Shikan, Citool, and Jogak, before also introdug the rest of his aunts and uncles who had e with their children.

  ‘Jogak,’ Alex thought, his eyes glued to the devilkin, or as the Iyrmen would call him, Iyrman.

  “To inform you of the business hierarchy once more, it begins with the President and the Enter. However, the Enter doesn’t bother with matters of the business, they just ent. Then it’s the Board Directors, like Direirot, who deal with broader, high level matters. You don’t really have to uand what they do, because it’s easier that way.” Adam smiled, the kind of smile a hostage would give.

  “Then es we Chief Executive Officers, like Executives Jaygak, who go out and speak on behalf of the President and the Directors. We have almost supreme authority, though we are ultimately bound by the orders from those above us. You’ve already seen the kind of mess we have caused in the field, that’s the kind of authority we have.”

  Dunes let out a soft sigh in response, exging a smile towards Amira. ‘He speaks it so easily.’

  “Then we have the Managers, like Manager Dunes and Manager Vonda, who hold great authority within the business, specialised in their own matters. Manager Dunes is in charge of a particur role, like that of teag the workers all kinds of subjects, mostly reading, writing, and to defend oneself. There are other titles within the busioo, though they’re still being formed. Right now the position under Manager is that of a Team Leader, or Lead, like Fred.”

  ‘Me?’ Fred thought, raising his brows. ‘I’m a Team Leader?’ He wasn’t sure what a Team Leader was, but it did sound like someone important. His lips formed a small smile.

  “If you ever have any issues, big or small, please e to anyone ranked Manager her. We have faith that the Managers will be able to form a proper opinio es to whatever issues arise, though if you do have any issues with how a Manager, or even aive, handles something, you escate the issue to another who is higher up. I’d ask that you don’t bo-,” Adam quickly paused, trying to uand how to word it properly. ‘I ’t use the word bother…’ “I ask that y your issues to a Manager or aive, but if it is really important ent, then you should bring it up to a Director.”

  Mirot, Shikan, Citool, and Jogak each threw a look between one ahey wereirely sure what their role was meant to be. They uood Sonarot was Adam’s shield, and someone who Adam would trust in for advice, like any of them, but she was truly the greatest power within the business.

  “Right, and…” Adam rubbed the side of his jaw gently, unsure of how to approach the topic. “There are also other important figures within the business. I mean, Lud Mara, they are each sidered Maoo.”

  “Wouldn’t I be aive too?” Lucy asked.

  “You be aive once you’re an Iyrman.”

  “You’re not an Iyrman.”

  “Talk to me when your brother is an Iyrman.”

  Lucy frowned. “Jirot, how he do this to me?”

  Jirot smirked.

  “Obviously, we should introduce all the other important figures in the busioo.” Adam motioned a hand to Lanarot, who was tearing a piece of bread, before she froze, staring up at her brother. She slowly pulled back towards her mother’s side wheed all the attention upon her.

  “This is Lanarot, our adorable little sister,” Adam said. “She’s the daughter of the President, and while her elder brothers each hold the title of Executive, she holds a very different title. All the children of the various higher ups hold a title that fers to them very little power, but remind you who they are reted to and how little trouble you should cause them. My sister here, as the daughter of the President, must be referred to as the Young President.”

  ‘Young President?’ Rick thought, his eyes falling across the tiny girl, who hid her head within her mother’s arm.

  Adam finally be mega ge!