Taygak stared at the sword, and then to her mother. Kaygak looked to Lavgak for guidance, and she looked to Sonarot, who looked to Adam, who was still laughing, almost crying.

“Damn it, Jaygak,” Adam said, slapping his knee. “I thought you had something nice, but you really had to bring out ol’ Bloodseeker?”

Jaygak smiled, and brought the magical sword to Taygak, who was still holding Stormdrake. Even she knew she probably shouldn’t accept the gift, but her eyes were glued to her mother, who was still in the chain of looks.

“It seems that Stormdrake is just too good,” Strom said, smirking wide.

“It’s not that Stromdrake is too good, it’s that Bloodseeker is too good,” Adam replied. “If you want to give my Cousin Taygak a sword, it has to be at least as good as Bloodseeker.”

Strom narrowed his eyes, before laughing again. “Certainly so!” He couldn’t stop howling with laughter, all the while Adam smirked.

“Taygak, have?” Taygak dared to ask.

Kaygak looked to Jogak, trying to get him to deal with Jaygak. However, the man sighed. It was too late. Jaygak had revealed to everyone the sword, and had offered it to the girl. Although it was an inappropriate gift, how could he deny his daughter’s goodwill?

‘Daughters are so scary,’ Jogak thought. He was certain Adam would have pulled such a stunt, but it wasn’t to rile anyone up. Jaygak, on the other hand, surely did it to tease everyone. That’s when he looked to Kitool. ‘Why couldn’t you be my daughter?’

Kitool stared at Jaygak. She was the only one who Jaygak had spoken to about the gift. Kitool had tried to convince her, but Jaygak had shocked her with her answer.

‘Stormdrake is too good for the likes of me,’ Jaygak had admitted to her. ‘I’m fairly certain that I’ll die while adventuring with you all, but Taygak, she’s different. She’s at the perfect age to receive Adam’s help, and he’ll be able to let her live her dream. I want to give Stormdrake, but it’ll go to her eventually. So, at the very least, it has to be Bloodseeker.’

Jurot hadn’t known anything, but he trusted both Jaygak and Adam, and if the adults wanted to go against the pair, they’d have to go against him too.

“Okay,” Kaygak finally said.

Nobby and Brittany stared at the Iyrmen. Bloodseeker was a blade with a basic bonus, but it struck harder than a typical longsword. Not only that, when it downed a creature, it’s next blow would be twice as powerful. It was a weapon which they could only dream of, and yet it was given to a nine year old girl.

‘The Iyrmen are so scary.’

Jonn and Fred remained silent, understanding that this was what the Iyrmen were. Even Filliam, who was waiting to hand the girl a watch, understood that this was crazy, but it was in the realms of possibility.

‘They are Iyrmen, after all.’

Vonda and Dunes remained silent. They knew Adam caused trouble, but it mostly wasn’t on purpose. Meeting Jaygak had changed their expectations of Iyrmen, but they still respected the Iyrmen. Jaygak was strong, and even if she claimed to be the weakest of the Iyrmen Trio, they still saw how mighty she was in battle against the creatures. Even they, as Experts, with all their magic, would only claim to be roughly equal to her strength.

“This is how it should be!” Strom said. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d have thought you two were Dragons!”

“Do Dragons give away magical weapons too?” Adam asked.

“Some do,” Strom replied. “Of course, I gave my children plenty of magical weapons. I’ve given away some weapons which would make Stormdrake look like your Phantom in comparison.”

“Why don’t you say that to my face when Phantom is at my side?” Adam asked.

“Do you think I wouldn’t dare?” Strom asked. “I may be dying, but I wouldn’t lose to some child like you.”

“Imagine losing to some kid whose less than a hundred years old,” Adam teased, smirking up at Strom.

Strom continued to laugh. “Why weren’t you all back last month? This birthday is far more fun!” Strom brought out a barrel of ale from his ring, but then looked to the pregnant women. “Ehm. I have some cloths and such too.”

Taygak accepted the sword, before hugging Jaygak tight. She didn’t let go of Jaygak for a long while, wrapping herself around her older cousin. Jaygak held the girl in a hug, carrying her to a seat, before sitting down with Taygak in her arms.

Shaool sighed, looking to Adam. She hadn’t expected how much trouble the Iyr would have faced with him. Then she looked at Kitool, who had been ready to assist Adam. She, who had sworn herself to the Iyr as one of the one hundred Paragons, wondered if she could still see her grandniece face to face.

After all, she had been assigned to kill Adam if it was required.

“Here,” Dunes said, handing the girl a silver ring which held the symbol of Wahtu.

Taygak, knowing Dunes was a Priest, smiled. “Thank.” She accepted the ring, staring at the symbol of one of the other Gods the Iyrmen also prayed to.

"Allow me to tell you a secret,” Dunes said. “It’s also my birthday.”

“What?” Adam said, blinking.

“Good,” Taygak said, smiling up at him. “Wait!” She then quickly rushed off.

“It’s your birthday too?” Adam asked. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“So what? You could give me another magical weapon?” Dunes asked. “You already gave me this sword.”

“That was last year, and this is a new year,” Adam said.

Dunes smiled. “I couldn’t accept anything this year, Adam.”

“Oh come on, you can’t just say that now,” Adam groaned. “What am I to give you this year?”

“You gave me more than one gift, didn’t you?” Dunes asked.

“I did?”

Dunes smiled. “I am no longer an orphan, Adam.”

Adam fell silent. His cheeks flushed red and he sighed. “I’ll let it go this time, Dunes.” Then his eyes snapped to Jaygak and Kitool. “What about you two?”

Jaygak smiled. “Our birthdays are two weeks after Jurot’s.”

“What?” Adam asked. “What… what do you mean? You didn’t tell me either!”

“We didn’t want to deal with how annoying you were,” Jaygak said.

Kitool coughed. “It is not quite that.”

“I’m not annoying,” Adam grumbled quietly. “You… you…” Adam narrowed his eyes. “Just you wait! I’m going to annoy you so much during your next birthday!”

Taygak returned with a clay plate, handing it to Dunes. “Gift.”

“This is for me?” Dunes asked.

“Yes.”

“Thank you so much,” Dunes said in the tongue of the Devilkin.

Taygak stared up at him in shock. “Okay,” the girl said, before running to Jaygak, staring at Dunes with wide eyes. Raygak and Saygak also looked to Dunes with shocked eyes.

‘Right, I forgot he could speak their language,’ Adam thought. ‘Is that an Aswadian thing?’

Vonda sighed. She had thought Dunes and she were allies, but to think she had to accept the mace for her birthday, and Dunes wouldn’t suffer the same as his own birthday. It was truly a deep injustice.

They all drank and ate together, until Taygak and the other Gaks went to the Gak family estate, wanting to enjoy the sun with those who could appreciate the heat.

“I heard you are able to Awaken people,” Strom said. “Why can you do so many crazy things?”

“Fate?” Adam replied, smirking.

“Fate?” Strom stared up at the sky. “I suppose none of us can escape Fate.”

“You can, right? You can decide to live longer.”

“I could,” Strom admitted, finally. “I have no reason to?”

“What do you mean no reason?” Adam asked. “Obviously it’s to shower my adorable Cousins and sister with gifts!”

Strom laughed. “Is that all I am?”

“If you were strong, maybe I’d say you could teach them too,” Adam joked.

Strom laughed. “Not even the Chief would say something like that to me.”

“I’m cheeky to Baktu, you think I wouldn’t be cheeky to you?”

“You should be careful of provoking the Gods, Adam. I could do so because I liked to kill their Champions, but you can’t do that right now.”

Adam’s smirk turned into a shocked frown. “You what?”

Strom smiled. “Why are you so surprised?” He looked around to the other Iyrmen, noting Shaool was speaking with her family. “I’m not the only one who hunted Champions and Demigods for sport.”

Adam looked around to the Iyrmen, before swallowing. “Is that true?”

“There’s nothing like killing a Champion, Guardian, or Demigod,” Strom said. “I want to taste it one more time before I die. It’s such a thrill.”

“Are you…” Adam decided against asking. He felt like he knew too much already. “Strom, you better not get killed. Otherwise it’ll be embarrassing to mention you to my sister.”

Strom smiled. “Even without my Spark, I’m not so easy to kill.” He looked to Shaool, and then wondered if that was true. ‘No, I’m still a little stronger, I’m certain of that.’

“Sir Vonda, would you mind coming with me to meet with Churot?” Adam asked. “I should get back to helping him out, but I’m not sure if it’ll hurt me too much.”

Vonda sighed. “You should rest today.”

“Vonda, please,” Adam said. “I haven’t been able to do it much because of enchanting, but I don’t want him to think I care about enchanting more than him.”

The Priest of Life sighed once more.

Mana: 18 -> 8

XP: 13 800 -> 13 300

Health: 65 -> 33

Exhaustion: 0 -> 1

Adam wiped his brow, feeling the exhaustion fill through his entire body. “Phew. That didn’t kill me.”

Jarot rubbed his forehead. ‘Is he really my blood?’

Churot panted quietly. “Six more?”

“That’s right,” Adam said. “Hopefully.”

“Thank you, Cousin Adam,” Churot said.

“Don’t thank me yet. Once you’re a Scribe Mage, I hope you won’t forget me!” Adam laughed.

“No,” Churot said. “I will not.”

Adam smiled. “I’ll be sure to remember that promise.”

“Okay.”

Jarot sighed. His Churot was growing up too fast. He should have expected it considering that Adam had come into his life like a storm. He wondered if Strom would be willing to fight with him one more time, just to blow off some steam.

‘No,’ he thought. ‘I cannot ask for that at this time.’

Adam returned back to the estate, where he spent the time preparing for WaW. Though he was exhausted, he made sure to play with the children, allowing the Iyrmen to listen in. Once the children saved the real Jurot and Sonarot, he showered them with all kinds of magical weapons in the game.

“I saved you, cousin Jurot,” Turot said, smirking up at the boy.

“Yes,” Jurot said. “You did.” He ruffled Turot’s hair, allowing the boy to enjoy his story. ‘Perhaps one day… No. I must be strong that Turot does not need to save me.’

“Happy,” Taygak said, pulling on Adam’s sleeve.”

“Of course I am,” Adam said, smiling at the girl. “I’m with my adorable Cousins!”

“Taygak, happy,” she said.

“I’m glad.” Adam ruffled her hair. “I want to make sure you’re happy every day.”

Taygak reached up and brushed Adam’s hair. “Good.”