As the children eheir time with their family, the Chief tio interrogate their father.

  “I’m not sure why it had to me, but if I had to take a guess, I guess it’s because a simir thing happeo me?” Adam replied, staring at the Chief. ‘Did I tell Jaygak and Kitool my story? I don’t remember.’

  “Even if you trade all the treasures we ot allow her to remain.”

  ‘Damn it!’ “Is there something I could offer?” Adam asked. “I mean, I did gain quite the special ability.”

  “That would depend on the ability you have gained.”

  “Well…”

  As the Chief listeo Adam’s expnation of his new abilities, he raised a hand, stopping the half elf. Chief Iromin stepped out. Adam threw a look towards his brother, w if he was actually going to die that day. ‘I shouldn’t joke as much…’

  The Chief returned a short while ter, having taken the moment to breathe. After listening to Adam, who had just informed him of something utterly crazy, he o process his thoughts.

  ‘I thought I had bee used to his chaos.’

  “Wele back, Chief…” Adam said, feeling the impending doom of death lingering over his neck.

  Iromin pced a bracelet beside Adam, atop his basin. “You have received a gift from your children.”

  Adam let out a small squeak, befng to the side. “Give me a sed to yself.” Adam inhaled deeply, before letting out a sigh. He ted the beads atop the bracelet. ‘Eh? Is there ara one?’ He ted one for each of his children, each of the babies, and then each of his cousins. He rubbed the little cy bead which was certainly a bead little Taygak had made for him. The red and blue bead was certainly from the twin Kans, and then each of the others were more difficult to ascribe to the various children. ‘Why is there ara one?’

  ‘The square bead is from Churot,” Jaygak said.

  Adam’s eyes sowards Jaygak, blinking rapidly towards her. “Jaygak, are you some kind of genius?”

  Jaygak was about to retort, before she heard Kitool let out a quick, sharp breath, causio remain quiet. ‘I ’t even tease him when he has such a ridiculous ability?’

  “Chief, how these children be so adorable?” Adam asked, fshing the widest of smiles.

  “…” Iromin realised how long Adam had spent without his children, sidering a year had passed iher realm, and how much it had affected the young man.

  ‘ge,’ Jurot thought, but he allowed Adam his moment sinuch had happened iher world. “It is my birthday too, Chief.”

  “Konarot did not pass along a gift for you.”

  “…” Jurot wasn’t sure if the Chief was messing with him. “I have not given Adam his gift either.”

  “…”

  “…”

  Iromin saw the defiant gaze in the young Iyrman’s eyes. “You wish to save the girl?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  Jurot’s ensed up. He could barely believe what he was about to say. “I am a good brother.” He felt his braze upon him, and realised what Adam felt when they looked at him whenever he was being ge.

  Iromin exged a look with Adam, w what the young man had doo his brother iher world for him to say something like that. Adam shrugged his shoulders, surprised, but with the most pyful smile spread across his face.

  “Chief,” Jurot called again.

  “You will vouch for her?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay.”

  “…” Adam blinked. “What? That’s… it?”

  “Jurot is an Iyrman,” the Chief stated, as though that expined everything.

  “…” Adam turo face his brother, still taken aback by the fact it had been that easy.

  “I will leave you to rest,” Iromin said, making to leave. “Once you learn Fate spells, please inform me.”

  “Oh, sure. I do it right now, if you want?”

  ‘What?’ Iromin blinked. “Okay.”

  “One sed.”

  Level Up!XP: 23 500 -> 10 500Health: 78 -> 91Mana: 21 -> 25Gaiwo spells!

  “There we go. I know Divination and Dimension Door.”

  “Those are acceptable spells,” Iromin stated, before turning to finally leave. There was no doubt in his mind that Adam had randomly learnt Fate spells out of the blue, because of that. Divination, though peculiar, and perhaps a spell which they shouldn’t allow Adam to possess, was ly the most dangerous thing about him.

  Thankfully, Adam had gone a long way to keep the Iyr from killing him. He always surrendered himself to the Iyr whenever asked, and he had ed himself to the Iyr, and his children remained within the Iyr’s reach at all times. Had Adam shown less siy, and had Adam kept all his secrets hidden from the Chief, he would have undoubtedly been killed.

  Iromin, as Chief of the Iyr, wasn’t sure what to do with Adam. He had been the young man’s bulwark against the reat Elders, but he still had his doubts. The face Adam had made when he had been given the bracelet caused the Chief to rex. Even if Adam was a crazy existence of pure, utter chaos, he was still just a father.

  Adam let out a sigh, gng over towards Jurot. “Thanks, Jurot.”

  Jurot nodded in response, Crowseer’s words repying within his mind.

  “Oh, and happy birthday, Jurot.”

  “Happy birthday, Adam.”

  “Don’t expect it from me, Adam,” Jaygak grumbled.

  “Even after I gave you Stormdrake and Great Moon?”

  “Wait until Raygak hears how you treated me.”

  “I’ll make him a really nice sword,” Adam replied. “A Greater Enhanced sword like Great Moon.”

  “I’ll tell Saygak.”

  “I’m Saygak’s favourite.”

  “I’ll tell Taygak.”

  “Well, hold on a sed, I haven’t been that mean to you.”

  Jaygak caught Kitool’s eyes a out a huff, while Kitool only bowed her head. However, the pair watched as Adam slumped within the basin, sighing out deeply, before he fell asleep. The pair weren’t sure just how close Adam was to dying when he spoke with the Chief, especially sidering how ridiculous his enting had bee after ing back from the other world.

  As the evening fell across the Iyr, a group of young men and women appeared at the shared family estate, finding older Iyrmen had gathered here too. There was Jarot, who was expected, but Gangak and Otkan were also sitting with him, sharing bottles of wine.

  Karot, the you of the triplets, rushed up towards Vonda, smiling shyly towards her. He revealed the gem and ring his father had gifted to him.

  “Did your father gift you such items for your birthday?” Vonda asked, her eyes seeking for the young half elf, though she hadn’t spotted him.

  “Yes!” The boy smiled even wider, before taking the woman’s hand t her to the rest of the children.

  Dunes followed her awkwardly, also sing for Adam and the others, though he didn’t find them, presuming they hadn’t returned. He had gathered they had goo adventure during the Twilight Month, the most dangerous month of the year, when even his divine magic could fail him. A month of training during that month was something whily the most itted dared to plete, like those of the northern Aldishmen. He supposed, however, there were many from his order who also pleted such a task, something he had yet to plete personally. ‘Should I?’

  “You’re thinking too much,” Amira said, patting his back. “Are you still afraid of the goblins?” she asked in vilspeech.

  Duhrew the devilkin an awkward gre, settling himself in the er. “Don’t cause trouble,” he replied iongue, before switg to Aldish, “and do not speak in our tongue.”

  “They uand it,” Amira began, before stopping herself from mentioning that there were devilkin Iyrmen about. She go Gangak, who was a devilkin Iyrman, though the Iyrmen would disagree. The Iyrmen’s view of family and race were peculiar to the outsiders, those of the Aldish and those of the Aswadians, like Dunes and herself.

  Dunes pleaded her with his eyes. Of all the people he didn’t want to offend, the Iyrmen were at the top of the list. She may have fotten the great figures within the Front Iyr, but Dunes hadn’t. Even if you didn’t include the dragons which currently zed in the Front Iyr, there was Lord Stokmar, the Lord of Earth, who was said to have created half the mountains within Aswadasad. Then there was the mysterious dragon who made the other dragons cower in fear, and Dunes was fairly certain the pair ons were grand names within Aswadasad, with his owimations of who they were.

  Yet, evewo great figures did not act up before the Iyrmen, evehe Iyr was at its weakest, without two of its Great Elders.

  Jonn made his way towards the triplets, the half elf taking a knee before the children. “I have brought you gifts.”

  Konarot stared up at the young warrior, a half elf like her father, and blinked.

  Jonn tied a ribbon to their wrists, before retreating away from them, sitting in a er by himself.

  “Am I te?” a figure called, entering the shared estate. He was adorned head to toe in fmedarksteel, though the pair of Iyrmen who escorted him were doffed outside the walls of the shared estate. His skin was dark like coal, his eyes deep red, his beard flowing out like the raging fire of a fe, a touch darker than his eyes. He gnced around to try and find Adam, but they then fixated on the young half dragons instead.

  “If you have brought gifts for my greatchildren, then you are oo te, Lord Morkarai,” Jarot called, raising a cup of peach wiowards him.

  “Gifts?” Lord Morkarai’s beard widened as he grihough his mouth was covered by it. “Have I fotten them?” He patted his armour, before he reached down to his pouch, pulling out a golden .

  The triplets stood up straighter as they gathered around the Prince, who dropped to a knee and hahem each a golden . They could smell the faint smell of magic, the tingliion running through their hands.

  “I have gifts for your siblings too,” Lord Morkarai stated.

  “Jiwoh, Jawoh,” Konarot called, causing her siblings to rush over from their nana.

  Lord Morkarai hahe baby goblins a pair of s, these s more silver than gold, and far more vibrant. “The face of the will ge to those you think of.” Morkarai tapped the in little Jarot’s hand.

  “Daddy!” Jarot gasped, staring at the ’s face. His mouth formed a tiny circle of surprise as he stared up at Lord Morkarai.

  “Look!” Konarot stated, showing the brass ring to the fire giant.

  “Yes?”

  “Daddy gift.”

  “Oh? Your father gifted you such a ring?” Morkarai asked, surprised there was no magic within the ring. “Then my gift is so cheap in parison.”

  Konarot patted the Prince’s leg gently. “Is good.”

  Morkarai chuckled, before taking his pce along with the older trio of Iyrmen. “I am surprised to see Adam hasn’t returned. If he hasn’t returned yet, it must mean something serious is keeping him away.”

  Jarot smiled knowingly, p the fire giant a cup of peach wine. “Do you wish to know?”

  “I value my life too much to pry into the Iyr’s affairs,” Lord Morkarai said. “I will remain with the Iyr until I am no longer needed.”

  “Will you not stay to win the favour of my grandson?”

  “If I am required home to assist with the war, I must return,” the Prince replied.

  “Let us hope the war ends,” Jarot said.

  “…”

  Jarot began to chuckle lightly at his words, before his granddaughter distracted him, climbing on top of his p. “Little Lanarot, what is wrong?”

  Lanarot pointed up at Lord Morkarai. “!”

  “Are you upset I did not give you a ?” Lord Morkarai asked.

  Lanarot pouted in response, her lower lip trembling. “Why noh?”

  “Your birthday is month, so you must wait?”

  “No!”

  “What has Jirot doo you?” Jarot chuckled lightly, pg a hand on her head. “How you bully his sister like this, Lord Morkarai?”

  The Prince shook his head, before reag into his pouch. “Here you are, little Lanarot.”

  Lanarot gasped, pointing to the face. “Is papa!” She brought the to her chest. “Is my papa.”

  “Do you miss your brothers?”

  “I missing them so much,” Lanarot replied, resting her head against her grandfather’s chest. “Baba, you ah missing papa?”

  “Hmm,” Jarot replied, as though he was truly thinking about it.

  “Yes,” Lanarot replied on his behalf. “Woad Mohk, you ah missing papa?”

  “I am missing your papa too.”

  “Yes,” Lanarot replied, nodding her head approvingly. “I missing my papa, I do not miss my mama.”

  “Why do you not miss your mother?”

  “Mama is here,” Lanarot replied, pointing towards where she thought her mother was, before her head sed around the area, eventually finding her with Murot. “Mama is here! Look, is Muwoh.” She poiowards her mother and her cousin. “Muwoh is baby.”

  “He’s just a little baby?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are you a little baby?”

  “No, I not a baby, I am Lanawoh.”

  Lord Morkarai remaiaring at the little girl, who was doted by all manner of monsters. Not just Adam, her brother, but the crazy figure known as Emperor Hadda, who she no doubt had fotten. sidering who she was doted by, from the likes of Emperor Hadda, Mad Dog Jarot, and her brothers, Lord Morkarai couldn’t help but wonder just what kind of a monster she would grow up to be.

  ‘I should also try to please this little one,’ Lord Morkarai thought, trying te two bdes with orike.

  The giant’s eyes fell to the half dragons, who were half silver dragon from their mother’s side. ‘…’ Lord Morkarai couldn’t help but tie the e betweealia family and the half dragons, especially sialia had appeared several times within this regioly, around the times they had been born.

  “You should not think of such stressful things.” Gangak poured a cup of wine for one of the Princes of Shakador, who seemed to be deep in thought.

  Lord Morkarai sighed. ‘Just what madness will y this year, Adam?’

  “Nano!” Jirot shouted at Gangak, before reag up her arms.

  “Yes, my Jirot?” Gangak asked, pig the girl up.

  Once Jirot was within her arms, she cuddled up with the older Iyrman, sug ohumb. Gangak also picked up her brother, so they could cuddle and sleep within her arms together. She smirked towards the older Jarot.

  “You ot have them,” the old Iyrman grumbled.

  ‘Are they really not blood reted?’ Morkarai thought.

  The buff of being an Iyrman is too OP.