“I still ’t get used to how queer you are, Adam,” Amira admitted, watg as Adam fed his triplets from his fingers, but also the twins, who had pined, jealous that the triplets were being fed in such a way.

  “I have mao worm my way bato their heart using food,” Adam said, looking over to the Aswadian woman. “It works for everyone.”

  Amira smirked slightly. “I didn’t realise you loved your children so much. I had heard from Dunes and the others, and with how much you pined… I still wouldn’t have guessed it was this much.”

  “You uimate my power,” Adam said, feeding his you daughter a hard carrot from his hand, the girl’s teeth g through it with ease. Adam lifted Jirot up onto his p and he kissed her forehead, causing the girl to look up at him. She smiled and shoved more carrot into her mouth, before she squirmed away from him. Adam did the same to Jarot, the boy staring up at his father, taking in his sight. There was certainly a sense of familiarity with the Half Elf, but the man did not have the tattoos on his forehead, like the others who raised him.

  The others watched as Adam also helped feed Gurot, spooning some of the thick, mashed fruit, before feeding the boy. Gurot looked up at Adam shyly, but allowed the Half Elf to feed him.

  “Did you think I fot about you, my ky boy?” Adam asked, brushing his hair gently. “Turot, Asorot, I ’t believe your brother is so cute. Are you spoiling him properly?”

  “Yes,” Turot replied. “I spoil him good.”

  “Are you feeding him properly?” Adam asked, half hugging the giant baby on his p. “Gurot, you let me know if they don’t give you the right amount of food, I’ll sort them out.”

  Gurot smiled, before eating from the spoon again, sug the mashed fruit down. He looked up towards his aunt, before he smiled shyly again, stig his hand into his mouth.

  “I feed him!” Turot stated. “Mother asks me to feed Gurot.”

  “Then he must be fed well,” Adam firmed, fshing a smile. “I’m so jealous of you two. Look at how cute your little brother is! I don’t have a cute little brother to spoil.”

  “I am!” Lanarot said, sitting up straight.

  “You’re a little sister, not a little brother,” Adam said.

  “Yes,” Lanarot firmed. “I am your kaka.”

  “That’s right,” Adam said, scooping up more food furot. “I want a little brother to spoil. Hold on… don’t you two now have two little brothers to spoil? There’s Murot too.”

  “Yes,” Turot firmed.

  “Hold on, doesn’t that mean…” Adam thought deeply. “Nirot, Turot, Asorot, Gurot, Murot. Five! Five children! Aunt Mirot, how could she have so many children? Five is too many. Who has five children? She o leave babies for the rest of us!”

  Jurot narrowed his eyes. “Adam, you have five children.”

  Katool started to ugh at Adam, and the other children joined in. Even Jirot, who had no idea what was going on, began to ugh, causing the younger babies to smile and ugh too.

  “What? No way, that doesn’t t! I have triplets and twins, so that only ts as two children.”

  “No,” Konarot said, pointing up at her father with an accusatory finger.

  “What do you mean no?”

  “No!”

  “Don’t steal your sister’s joke.”

  Konarot huffed, before looking to her nana, pouting up at her for support.

  “Aunt, how you do this to me?” Adam whispered. “Konarot was the ohat loved me the most, but now she looks to you for support. What have you doo my children? You’ve stolen them away from me.” Adam lifted Gurot up and hugged him tighter. “Fine, I’m stealing Gurot and the others then! Right, Gurot, you want to be with Cousin Adam, don’t you?”

  “Mama,” Gurot said, seeing his mother approach with Murot.

  Adam closed his eyes, and allowed the boy to leave his arms, the ky baby boy waddling his way to his mother before he icked up by her strong arm. Mirot retty certain that Adam was doing something stupid, especially since he seemed to be stunned.

  Konarot kissed her father’s cheek to awaken him from his stupid thoughts. Adam looked down to his eldest daughter. He brushed her hair gently and pulled her head to his chest. “I missed you all so much.” He ran his fihrough her dark hair, which was nearly bck, but with a hint of silver. “Daddy is going to try and work less so he spend more time with you.”

  Konarot purred affirmatively at his words aed her head against his chest. Her tail swayed gently from side to side. Kirot and Karot also cuddled up beside their father oher side, while Jirot and Jarot stared at their elder siblings, seeing how close they were with the man.

  Adam looked out to all the children, even the baby girls who were eating beside one another, heir mothers and fathers. “Jurot, I’m going to spoil them all.”

  “Yes,” Jurot stated, knowing it was true.

  “Even if they’ve fotte doesn’t matter. I’ll spoil them so much. The Gods, they’ve truly given me a great fortune in this life.” He pnted a kiss on Konarot’s forehead. “Thank the Gods and their grace.” ‘I should go and give more moo the temples…’

  Ohey were doh breakfast, Adam was excited to py with the children. Unfortunately for them, an Iyrman adorned in dark grey clothing appeared, with a message from Elder Zijin.

  “Elder Zijin wishes to speak with you,” the Iyrman said, looking to Adam and the trio of Iyrmen.

  Adam sighed, before putting his children dowing up to stretch. He looked to his five children and just nodded, giving in to the Iyr’s demands. “Alright.”

  Adam and the trio of Iyrmen followed the Elder’s aid out, making their way to the Elder’s estate, the most tral estate. They found the Elder sitting at his desk, skimming through all manner of books, while cheg the ats to make sure they had enough food prepared for the Front Iyr. They couldn’t farm the nd around the Front Iyr while that man was still there.

  Elder Zijin’s eyes snapped up towards Adam and his panions. “Adam,” the Elder said, before nodding to the other Iyrmen, motioning with a hand to the side. “Take a seat.”

  “Elder Zijin, good to see you.” Adam dropped down onto one of the four seats in front of the Elder, gng down at some of the papers, before his eyes shot upwards, deg against learning more about the Iyr in this manner.

  “gratutions on pg so well iour,” Elder Zijin said, closing his book, before the four snacks and drinks. The aid stepped to one side, allowing the five to speak more privately. “First, sed, third…”

  “If you wao gratute us, you should have invited Nobby and the others,” Adam said.

  “I will gratute them too, but I thought to inform you first of what is expected of you, as those who have pced well iour,” Elder Zijin began. “I will request that you take the day off to rex within the park, as the families will e speak with you. There will be much food to eat, and much alcohol to drink. There will be many Iyrmen who will e to greet you as someone who has pced well iour.”

  “Oh? What about Bavin, and the others, the teens?”

  “They will also do the same in the near future,” the Elder assured.

  “Sounds good.”

  “I uand you may wish to spend time with your family, but this must be done,” Elder Zijin said, his eyes staring deep into Adam’s apologetically.

  “So we’ve got to meet and greet people?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then… could my children also be there to watch?”

  Elder Zijin paused for a moment to think. It was su Adam question to ask, and erhaps the most obvious question he should have inally sidered.“Yes.”

  Adam smiled slightly. The Iyr was giving him a ce to be cool in front of his children? “Sounds good.”

  “I will deal with the logistics,” Zijin assured, tapping his book, having already prepared for it. “I am gd to hear that you did so well.” His eyes remained focused on Adam.

  “Yeah, thanks.”

  “It seems it was not time for the Jin family,” Elder Zijin said.

  “Uwajin and Timojin both did well,” Adam stated.

  “Yes.” He waved a hand to dismiss the group. “Take my gratutions and go.” The Elder chuckled, fshing a smile towards the Half Elf.

  Adam chuckled, getting up to make his way out. Jaygak stood too, but the Elder shook his head, motioning for her to sit down. Adam gnced between the pair, but decided to leave them be, heading out with Jurot and Kitool.

  “You dropped out of the tour?” Zijin asked, her more snacks.

  “It wasn’t my time.”

  “The Jaygak that I know would not have dropped out.”

  “What was the point? I wasn’t going to pce well.”

  “Pg iop ten would have been more than enough to gain glory.”

  “Maybe I could have reached top ten, maybe I couldn’t…”

  “You could have.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “With Stormdrake in hand?” Elder Zijin asked.

  “Even with Stormdrake in hand. If I had pte mail, I may have tinued, but… it wasn’t the time for the Gak family.”

  “Laygak pced well.”

  Jaygak slowly nodded her head. “He did.”

  “Jaygak. You always cause me such trouble, but I accept it all, because I know you do not mean harm.” He leaned in towards her, staring into her eyes. “If your heart is not up to the task, I ask you to remember this ohing. Even if you were to fail, I expect you to fail with a mouth full of blood. I do not expect this of you as an Iyrman, but as the elder sister tak, and the oaygak looks up to most”

  Jaygak swallowed. Failing with a mouth full of blood? It was something she hadn’t heard in a long while. “I think they should find someone else to look up to.”

  “Who? Adam?” Zijin shook his head. “In their eyes, in our eyes, there is only you, Jaygak.”

  “I want to retire, Elder.”

  “It is refused.”

  “It is my right.”

  “What am I to say tak?” Elder Zijin whispered, raising his brows towards her.

  “I will tell him.”

  “Will you?” Zijin remaiaring into the woman’s eyes, his own trying to see what she truly meant.

  Jaygak frowned. “…”

  “It is not time for you to retire yet, Jaygak,” Elder Zijin said. “As I clear the path for Adam, I will do the same for you.”

  “You’re clearing a path for me?”

  “I do not o clear a path for Jurot,” Zijin began. “I do not o clear a path for Kitoak and Taygak, they both see a wall they ot climb. That wall is named Gak. When was the st time anyone from the Gak family has risen? Gangak? Yes, perhaps she was the only oo break through it, but that was a long time ago. Even Kaygak stopped before she could climb the wall. I will clear the path for you, Jaygak, and you must clear a path for them.”

  “What is my path, Elder?” Jaygak asked, cautiously. She had heard what Taygak had said before, and it had broken her heart. Adam had heard it too, but he had reacted differently. Whereas Jaygak could only react with shame, Adam reacted with shod had argued against it.

  It was always Adam who could do such things.

  Elder Zijin smiled. “Your path…” The older Iyrman sighed. “You would not believe me.”

  “What is it?”

  “It is more unbelievable than even Adam.”

  Jaygak raised her brow towards the Elder. This was the very first that she had heard he had pns for her. No matter how much Jaygak thought, she had no idea what the Elder was thinking. She supposed that one had to think in such a way in order to be an Elder.

  ‘Something more unbelievable than Adam?’

  “I do not care if your mouth if full of your foe’s blood or your own,” Zijin said, “but Jaygak, please. It must be full of blood.”

  “I uand, Elder Zijin…” Jaygak replied, though her lips were still a frown.

  Zijin could see she didn’t believe in herself still, but it was fine. She said she uood, and that was all he could ask.

  “Oh damn,” Adam whispered as he stopped at the entrance of the shared estate. “I fot to give the twins their gifts.”

  Jurot was certain their birthdays hadn’t passed yet.

  Jaygak, do not believe in yourself. Believe in the me who believed in you!