Adam introduced Bavin to the others, from Jurot and his companions, to the teens, and then the children.

“Bovin asked me to take him with us on our adventures and make him an Expert,” Adam said. “Shouldn’t take too long.”

“You are to train him into an Expert?” Nirot asked, throwing Adam a look.

“Yes.”

Nirot’s eyes remained on his. “You will not train us?”

Adam shrugged. “If you want to be an Expert, you can join.”

Nirot glanced between the other teens, their eyes speaking between one another.

Mirot looked to Sonarot, and the other adults also looked to her for guidance. It was not only because they were all pregnant, so the stress of Adam would make life difficult for them, but also because Sonarot was closest to him. They asked with their eyes for Sonarot to deal with the situation.

“You would train us to become Experts?” Nirot asked.

“You can come adventure with us and eventually you’ll become Experts, sure,” Adam said. “Though you need to be on the same contract as Bavin and the others.”

“What kind of contract?”

“You’ll be paid ten gold a month every month, your lodgings and such will be taken care of, and once you’re an Expert, you’ll be under contract to work for me at a rate of twenty five gold a month or so as an Expert for a period of five years.”

Nirot narrowed her eyes. “Why would we accept that deal?”

“Iyrmen wouldn’t,” Adam said. “Not unless they had something to prove.”

“Five years is a long time,” Nirot said.

“You’d be what? Twenty one?”

“Yes,” the young Iyrman replied.

“You’d still be young, with plenty of coin under your belt,” Adam offered. “Though, I can understand why you wouldn’t want to. Of course, as my Cousin, I can treat you differently. Nepotism, yes, but… I wouldn’t charge Lanarot.”

Nirot remained silent. “If you train me to become an Expert, then I will owe you a favour.”

“A favour?” Adam asked. He turned to Bavin. “Would you agree to the same terms?”

Bavin nodded in response.

“A favour. A favour. A favour I can call for whenever I please?”

“Yes,” Nirot replied. “Unless it goes against our rules.”

Adam thought deeply. “Nobby, Brittany, and you all will share one cut of the loot. I won’t be paying you lot any gold monthly, but I’ll take care of your needs and such. I don’t think a few gold a month will do anything for you.”

“Okay.”

Adam held out his hand, and the pair shook forearms.

The adults had all stared at Sonarot, pleading her with their eyes.

“It is a good fortune that Adam has chosen to train four Experts for our families,” Sonarot said. “Perhaps they may even return to us as Adepts once the children are born.” She smiled warmly.

“I will go speak with Uwajin, she will wish to join,” Naqokan said, scurrying away to bring the Orcish Iyrman.

“Is that fine?” Nirot asked, though Naqokan had already left.

“How could I deny it? If Naqokan gets my help, I don’t think she’d be happy that Uwajin was left behind because of me.”

Nirot blinked. She had forgotten that, sometimes, Adam wasn’t an idiot.

‘Six Iyrmen,’ Adam thought. Nirot, Naqokan, Faool, Laygak, Uwajin, and Bavin. Adam would have almost ten Iyrmen travelling with him, six of whom were newborn cubs, though they were tiger cubs.

Uwajin appeared, the Orcish Iyrman standing strong and tall, a greatsword strapped to her back. “Adam Fateson,” she said. “Thank you.”

“Any time.”

“You brought back my cousin’s body. Thank you.”

“Right,” Adam said, swallowing a lump. “Any time.” He quickly cleared his throat. “First of all, let’s talk about some ground rules before we begin.”

The six Iyrmen stood before him, five of whom stood tall. “First rule. No marriage. You are all my precious Cousins. Second rule. Lanarot is Cutest In The Whole World. Third rule. Make sure you all listen. Fourth rule. No dying without my permission. Fifth rule. Be kind to one another.”

The Iyrmen stared up at him. They had a few issues with some of the rules.

“No, wait.” Adam rubbed his chin. “Swap the first two rules around.”

‘Cringe,’ Nirot thought, wincing.

Naqokan slowly nodded her head at his words. ‘You will make a good father for our children.’

Adam felt it, something against the back of his neck. His eyes snapped to Naqokan, who smiled, and he quickly looked away to the side.

“Cousin Adam,” Laygak called. “We have heard of your business. If you need assistance, I would like to help with your business. My craft is not as good as cousin Jurot, but I do well.”

Jurot nodded, agreeing with Laygak’s assertions. Laygak was good at carving wood, but Jurot was slightly better, and could complete much more complex pieces.

“I thought you wanted to owe me a favour instead?”

“I am happy to accept either the favour or the work, whichever you prefer when the time comes,” Laygak offered.

Adam smiled. “I can tell you are Taygak’s brother.”

Taygak, who was listening in on the conversation, smiled. “Yes. Laygak, my brother.”

“I am glad to adventure with cousin Kitool, but what of the fourth rule?” Faool asked. “It is not our way to deny a good death.”

Adam’s face became stern for once.

They all braced for something stupid.

“Are you planning on dying before you can meet your siblings?” Adam crossed his arms, and for once, his face flushed red with momentary anger. “None of you are allowed to die. I’ll go to speak with Baktu personally if he dares to take any of you before then.”

The adults’ eyes pierced through Sonarot, but she smiled. “Adam. I believe it would be best to leave Baktu be, for the Lord is busy.”

“Busy? He wasn’t busy when he wanted to speak with me with all of his siblings. He wasn’t busy when he asked me for a favour to…” Adam paused. “No, I think he was a little busy then.”

“Do you believe yourself to be more powerful than Baktu?” Mirot asked, her voice calm and clear.

“I can beat up a lot of people, but I’ve only fought a Deity once, ah, twice,” Adam said. “The first time I got absolutely bodied, but the second time I did pretty good. Then another Brit, I mean, Greylander went to fight them. That guy was way stronger than me.”

The eyes continued to pierce Sonarot. “They do not know your story, Adam, so you should not make such remarks freely.”

“I suppose so, but you know my story, and so does Jurot,” Adam replied. “Anyway, I don’t completely fear Baktu, but I do fear the beings above him.”

Sonarot sighed, feeling the piercing gazed begin to bury themselves within her. “Adam.”

Adam cleared his throat. “My point is that you’re not allowed to die until you see your adorable siblings! How can I get to see them if you don’t? What will they think when they grow up? They’ll look up at me, Adam, and think I’m just a useless guy who let their older brothers and sisters die! Then they’ll ask Lanarot why I let them die, and she’ll ask me, and what am I meant to say to her?”

Though his words were filled with jest, they could see the genuine anger in his eyes, and so Faool bowed his head. “Sorry.”

“Hmph! Just try and die, and you’ll see how I spank you once I revive you!” He let out a final huff of rage, before he calmed. “Anyway, I know that Laygak and Jurot are able to carve wood, but what can the rest of you do?”

“I can work glass,” Faool replied.

“I play the panflute,” Nirot said, smirking up at Adam.

Adam narrowed his eyes at her. He wanted to learn the panflute too, but he’d been so busy.

“I work with stone,” Naqokan said.

“Boots,” Bavin said.

“Boots?”

“I make good boots.”

Adam slowly nodded his head. He did feel how comfortable the Iyrman’s boots were. In fact, he never once complained about them, and nor had anyone else.

“I smith,” Uwajin said.

Adam thought deeply, glancing between them all. It was a diverse array of abilities, one which would assist him during his business. Glass was awkward, but he was sure that glass could…

Glass could…

Adam leaned back, thinking deeper. ‘Could I make enchantments inside glass? Disposable glass beads of some kind?’ He continued to tilt and turn his head, as though rocking his brain juices to think harder.

“What are you two good with?” Adam asked. He hadn’t asked.

“Gems,” Jaygak said. “Anything with jewellery.”

“Oh?” Adam would never have guessed. ‘I know who to come to about jewellery stuff then.’

“Leather,” Kitool replied, simply.

“Leather?” Adam slowly nodded his head. That seemed to fit Kitool, and now that he thought about it, jewellery also fit Jaygak, somehow.

“What are you thinking?” Jurot asked.

“Something stupid,” Adam replied.

“Yes,” Jurot replied, knowing that much.

Adam furrowed his brows.