The children cpped at the end of the tale, the light patter of rain assisting their appuse.

  Lanarot had fallen asleep midway through the tale and had awokely from the gentle cps. She coughed and began to cry, only for Sonarot to pick her up aly soothe her, patting her back gently as she hummed quietly into the girl’s ear.

  “We will sleep soon, my Lanarot,” Sonarot hummed as she rocked the baby.

  Jogak remained sitting still as his daughter’s knuckles rasped on his head.

  “You use abilities of the Guardians?” Elder Zijin asked, having paid keen attention to the tale. There were many things he had learnt through it, most of them about Adam.

  “Just the, you know, smiting,” Adam said.

  “You beat Jonn too?” Zijin asked, gng over to Jonn, ell above an Expert.

  “Yeah,” Adam said.

  “In a single round?”

  “More or less,” Adam replied, smiling.

  “And sying twons,” Sonarot said, smiling at him. “What an amazi. I will tell everyone of the good news about the adventures of my Jurot and my Nephew.” She couldn’t help but beam.

  “To think that a year hasn’t even passed yet,” Elder Zijin said, feeling the emotions twirl within him. ‘His rapid growth is arming.’

  “Is that a lot?” Adam asked.

  Elder Zijin’s brows raised.

  Sonarot stopped patting her daughter.

  Jaygak covered her mouth.

  Even Jurot, who had been basking ierglow of the tale he had told, snapped upright.

  “What?” Adam asked.

  “You have done very well, Adam,” she said, but instead ing more attention to his ridiculousness, she ged the topic. “You have all been travelling for so long. Are you pnning to rest within the Iyr?”

  It wasn’t for Adam’s sake that she had ged the topic, but a statement to Elder Zijin. She uood that Adam was like a fme, one which the Iyr was currently keeping an eye on to see if it would turn into a burning inferno which will harm them, or one which will assist in keeping away the cold.

  “Well,” Adam said, looking to Dunes. “We were going to discuss it tomorrow. Dunes wao quest a few more times during Duskval.”

  “We have been w for some times,” Dunes said. “If you wish to rest, we . Will we be resting within the Iyr too?”

  “I’ll be w,” Adam said. “You guys rest up. If there’s a problem, I’ll deal with it.” Adam go Sonarot, w if she had an issue with them staying here. However, they had already brought a for the three.

  “Yoing to be w?” Dunes asked, staring at the Half Elf. “Are you a man who is allergic to rest?”

  “Something like that,” Adam said, rubbing the side of his neck. “Ah, for no reason in particur, how attached are you to that Jagite longsword of yours?”

  “Fairly attached,” Dunes said. “It’s the on I’ve ever owned.”

  “I see,” Adam said, rubbing his . “I also bought a Jagite longsword from Jaghi, and I was going to ent it for you.”

  Duared at Adam, blinking at the Half Elf. Theurned, looking to Jurot and Sonarot, who didn’t seem to react, before he turned back to looking at Adam.

  “What?” Adam asked.

  “Excuse me? What was that you just said?”

  “I nning on enting a sword for you,” Adam said.

  “You were going to ent a sword for me?” Dunes asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “What?” Dunes blinked. “You know how to ent?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You know how to brew potions too?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You do both?”

  “Yeah.”

  Dunes tio blink. “Yoing to ent me a sword?” He wasn’t sure he uood what Adam said.

  Sonarot smiled, since he was going threw the same shock they had all experienced around Adam.

  “Since you’re one of us now, why not?” Adam asked, shrugging his shoulders.

  “I ot afford it,” Dunes said. “Enting is expensive business. We have not earhat much mohrough our adventuring, and sidering my tithes, I really ot.”

  “You’re right, enting is expensive business, but I have plenty of gems to ent with, enough to ent your bde and more.” Adam nodded. “Though I am pnning to ent to make some too.”

  “What are you even saying!” Dunes tio blink at the Half Elf. “You ot just ent a on for me.”

  Adam blinked iurn. “Why not?”

  “Enting is time ing and expensive,” Dunes said, trying to find a way to deny the enting. “How long have we known each other? A few months at most? I have only just joined your party!”

  “What are you saying?” Adam asked, holding his quizzically. “I ented Kitool and Jaygak’s ons when I hadn’t known them long, probably less than I knew you. I knew Jurot for less than a couple of months and I ented his axe. Man, I ented my darling little sister’s on before she was even born.” Adam smiled.

  Dunes tio blink wildly at Adam, trying to process the words he was hearing.

  Jonn’s eyes were glued oher Half Elf, and Brittany reached up to cover her ears. She uood there were things she should and should not hear.

  “You did what?” Dunes almost coughed.

  Sonarot smiled, enjoying the se before her. Even Elder Zijin was rexing, bathing in the fusion Adam was causing. Jaygak clutched at her jaws tight.

  “Adam, I must refuse,” Dunes said, feeling too unfortable to accept.

  Adam inhaled deeply. “I refuse your refusal.”

  “Adam, I am serious. I ot accept.”

  Adam shut his eyes tight and crossed his arms. “Dunes, I am serious. I ot accept that you ot accept.”

  “Adam, you…”

  “You did pretty well against the Dragon,” Adam said. “Without that, I’m not sure I could have let loose as much as I did. Plus, the stronger you are, the likelier we are to survive. Our number one priority is to return home, safe and sound.”

  Adam smiled, reag up to the sleepy Lanarot, brushing her hair gently as she squirmed. He held her up to Dunes, which surprised the little girl, as it was the first night skinned person she had ever seen.

  “Do you see my adorable little sister?” Adam asked.

  “Yes?”

  “What would you say to her if you let me die. Are you going to tell her that you let me die just because you didn’t want to accept a magical on which could save our lives?” Adam kept Lanarot in his arms, with her staring at his face, filled with fusion.

  “No, but death isn’t the end of life,” Dunes said, his lips growing taut.

  Adam leaned Lanarot in even closer, causio squirm and pull back. “Go ahead,” Adam said. “Say it to her face.”

  Dunes looked at the little baby who was squirming away from him, beginning to tremble in Adam’s arms, then he looked to Sonarot, who was staring deep at him. No, she wasn’t staring at him, she was staring deep into his soul.

  “Sorry,” Dunes said. “I will accept the magical on. Thank you.”

  “Good,” Adam said, pulling Lanarot bad nuzzling her cheek. “Hey, don’t cry when you see a bck dude, that’s weird, Lanababy.” He brushed the girl’s hair.

  “Even so, we shouldn’t stay in the Iyr for long,” Dunes said. “I don’t want to overstay my wele.”

  “Yuests of Jurot,” Sonarot said. “You do not o worry about such matters.”

  “Alright, we’ll quest a few times during Duskval, and then I’ll spend the entire winter, I mean, Nightval, making ons. I’ve got the fe up until the end of this year, if I recall?” Adam go Elder Zijin, who had been enjoying himself.

  “Yes,” the Elder replied, nodding his head.

  “I should probably get some mems,” Adam thought, thinking about how many gems he had. “Ah, hold on. Si’s a magical on for the party, I just use the Party Fund, right?”

  “It is what the Party Fund was made for,” Kitool said.

  “That sounds fio me,” Jaygak said.

  Jurot nodded. “We have entrusted you with the matter.”

  “Well, we have spent a lot on Jonn and Dunes,” Adam said, feeling a little guilty.

  “You ented our ons before the formation of the Party Funds, so we ot refuse to spend it on Dunes’ magical on,” Jurot said.

  “I don’t have too many gems personally,” Adam thought.

  “If you wish fems, the Iyr will provide them, as long as you are willing to au the ons to the Iyr first,” Sonarot offered, petting his head, taking Lanarot from him.

  Adam nodded. “ I buy ores and wood from the Iyr?”

  "We requisition some using our family name," Sonarot said. "I'll buy them,” Adam said. “That way the Iyr’s coffers are growing. If the Iyr is strong, then I don’t have to worry about Lanarot.”

  "The Iyr is strong," Jurot stated.

  “Right,” Adam said, chug. “Aunt, when I-“ Adam paused, gng at the others about them. “Right, eak about it ter.”

  Sonarot bowed her head, unsure of what he wao talk about.

  “Where’s Lucy?” Adam asked.

  "She is currently training in the caves,” Elder Zijin said.

  "Training in the caves?" Adam asked.

  "She wished to train, so she left to do so with many Iyrmen. She trains quite a lot."

  "She must be bored too." Adam felt a little guilty, sidering he was going out and having fun adventuring. "It is te,” Sonarot said, rog her daughter gently. “Shall we sleep?”

  The others were guided to the , where Brittany could sleep in her owion of the , walled off from Jonn and Dunes.

  Sonarot pced Lanarot down, who began to cry that her mother wasn’t with her, but soon stopped as Sonarot y beside her, rubbiomach.

  “Woo. Awoo. Aa.” Lanarot babbled at her mother before slowly closing her eyes.

  Adam stared at the tiny girl, puffing out his chest. ‘My little sister is so adorable!’

  Jurot saw the way she rexed in their mother’s arms, the way she babbled as she calmed.

  His heart throbbed painfully.

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