“Adam, what are you doing?” Lucy whispered. She hadn’t wanted to draw attention to herself, but after seeing Adam wanting to commit suicide by stupidity, she couldn’t hold her tongue.

“Nothing,” Adam replied, reaching down to brush Konarot’s hair. ‘What the hell am I doing? I should just let it go.’

Shama’s eyes were now fixated on Adam, pressing him down with his gaze. He had no idea Adam was the kind of fool who would wish for his death. ‘No, he is certainly the type.’ “Are you so confident in the Iyr’s abilities to protect you?”

“No, I’m just an idiot.”

The words left Shama speechless once more. He wondered what Adam was to be able to say such audacious things one after another. He first started a fight with Shama, belittling him, but then the Half Elf belittled himself. ‘He is just a fool.’

Strom placed a hand on Shama’s shoulder. “Stop embarrassing me in front of the Iyrmen.”

“You should be careful, young man, for there are not many who are as merciful as me,” Shama warned, before stepping back.

“You did not mean it, did you, Adam?” Strom asked. Adam made a face, which didn’t relieve the Emperor one bit. ‘Adam, don’t do this to me!’

Iromin sighed, wondering how it had ended so simply. He looked to Adam, who was certainly more dangerous than he had originally thought. “Did you wish to die?”

“I’m just angry,” Adam said. “If he was the kind to take my words so seriously, then what little respect which I hold for the Iyr would have been diminished.”

Iromin stared down at Adam, who had changed his tone. He had heard what happened, and though the other Great Elders had been somewhat pleased by Mulrot’s words, Iromin and Elder Peace had not been quite so glad. A rift had formed between the Iyr and Adam, a rift which Iromin needed to mend, somehow. However, there was also that matter which he needed to deal with too, though he was uncertain of how to progress.

Adam picked Konarot up, rubbing the back of her head, embracing the girl tight. “Were you scared?” He looked down to Kirot and Karot, who both reached up expectantly. He wore his children over his shoulders and between his arms. ‘Seriously. What am I doing? I can’t just start a fight with that guy when I’ve got children to look after…’ He sighed.

“Adam…” Lucy called, awkwardly. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.”

Lucy could see he was not fine, as the darkness had returned to his face. “What were you thinking, starting a fight with him?”

Adam threw her a look, before looking to Mara. “I could ask you the same thing.”

“I could not hold my displeasure,” Mara admitted. “Please forgive me, Lucy.”

“It’s okay,” Lucy said, reaching out to hold Mara’s hand, rubbing it gently. “Once we’re stronger, we’ll get our revenge on him.”

“As you say,” Mara replied, smiling at her liege.

Adam rubbed his children’s stomach. ‘Revenge.’ He sighed, looking up towards the sky. The difference between them was that of heaven and earth. ‘Can I even become strong enough to deal with someone like that? Whatever he was, unless I grab a mish mash of a bunch of stuff, I won’t be able to even scratch him.’

Konarot wrapped her arms tighter around her father’s neck, pressing her cheek against his, her soft breath tickling his neck.

“Am I not giving you enough attention, my little Kona?” Adam asked, rubbing his cheek against hers. ‘Right. It doesn’t matter, I need to get stronger. I should get so strong that not even the Gods will want to mess with me, never mind some Emperor. I won’t be able to do it alone, though…’

Sonarot rubbed her son’s cheek. “How could you do such a thing?”

“I did not want him to touch Lanarot,” Jurot admitted.

Sonarot brushed his hair gently. “Thank you. I did not want him to touch Lanarot either.”

Jurot smiled slightly, and bowed his head.

Sonarot remained with her son, brushing his hair. It was Lord Shama who had made Jurot think about growing stronger, and he was the root of the darkness which had taken hold of the boy.

‘I should just make everyone a Paragon,’ Adam thought. ‘No, not a Paragon. An Idol.’

The other children eventually gathered around Sonarot and the others. They had watched the scene for a moment, but had withdrawn when Tonagek called for them. All they had seen was Adam and Jurot attacking some guy who was not an Iyrman.

“Okay?” Taygak asked, having approached Adam confidently.

“I’m okay.”

“Good,” the girl said, patting Adam’s leg, before walking away. She repeated the same with Jurot.

Adam sighed, suddenly feeling tired. He was certain it was not because he was carrying his children around. They made their way towards where the fights of the youth were taking place, finding Dunes and Sir Vonda both cooking nearby.

“Nice,” Adam said, rolling up the shish kebab in naan. He offered his children a bite each first, before taking a bite himself. “Oh,” Adam said, feeling the tingle on his tongue and hearing the gasping of his children. They quickly drank some cool milk from nearby. “Dunes, how could you do this to my children.”

“Sorry,” Dunes replied, before smiling at the triplets warmly.

The children hid away from his gaze, causing Adam to sigh. ‘Damn it, Dunes. It was hard enough to get Lanarot to stop crying when they saw you, and now this?’ Adam tore off the fluffy flat bread for his children, who now understood why Lanarot enjoyed plain bread, for it could not betray them.

The group made their way through to the fights, which were soon to start. Today was mostly for the youth to play, whereas the days after would be of those who were far stronger.

“I hope I’m not intruding,” Strom said, appearing a short while after they had settled themselves in a corner. He picked Lanarot up, who bit into another ball of bread.

“Stop trying to say cool things to make yourself feel better,” Adam said.

“I will once you stop saying things which will get you killed,” Strom replied, smirking down at the Half Elf.

“Hadda, eh?”

“It is my name,” Strom said, sitting beside the Half Elf. “You may still call me Strom.”

The triplets scrambled off their father to the other side, peeking at Strom.

“You don’t have to be so scared, he can’t hurt you,” Adam assured, rubbing their heads.

“That’s right, I’m just a weak old man now,” Strom said, smiling at them. “Didn’t you all take away my strength from me?”

“What does that mean?”

“Did you think it was a simple process to help them take such a form?” Strom asked. “I had to spill so much blood.”

“Are you serious?”

“Of course.”

Adam stared up at the old man, but decided to believe him. “Thank you.”

Strom tickled Lanarot’s skull. “It is no matter. I did it because I know they will become little nightmares.”

“What do you mean?” Adam asked, narrowing his eyes at the old man.

“I am going to bet that they, along with your sister, and those other children of yours, will become nightmares for the Iyr, and the world.” Strom smiled.

“My children aren’t going to be nightmares,” Adam said, wrapping an arm around the trio. “You think these adorable little triplets are going to become nightmares?”

“They’re your children, so of course they will.”

Adam narrowed his eyes, but had nothing to respond with. “They’re going to be raised well. I might be dumb, but not everyone around me is so stupid. There’s my Aunt, Jurot, and Kitool.”

“Lord Strom, it is good to see you,” Nirot said. “Have you come to watch the fights?”

“I have.”

“I’m betting a gold on each of my Cousins,” Adam said. “Anyone want to bet against me?”

“I’ll bet against you,” Strom said.

“Are you so eager to lose your gold?”

“What need of I of gold? I will be dead soon. Will you bury me with it?” Strom laughed.

“Why are you so depressing?”

Strom continued to laugh, causing Lanarot to laugh too, before she looked towards the Iyrmen, who were ready to fight. She threw up her hands and screamed, babbling nonsensically.

Konarot looked to Lanarot, who was screaming wildly, before hissing at Strom. She bared her teeth towards the older man, who stared at her curiously.

“What are you doing?” Adam asked, rubbing the girl’s face. “Don’t bully Strom.”

Konarot looked up to Adam, before narrowing her eyes towards Strom.

“Konarot?” Adam asked, feeling how cold she had become, before he lifted her up and placed her on his lap, wrapping an arm around her. “It’s okay, Kona.”

Konarot leaned back against Adam, narrowing her eyes at Strom, wondering why her father wasn’t helping Lanarot.

Once the fighting began, Adam’s children squirmed, clutching their father for support.

“What’s wrong?” Adam asked, reaching down to rub their heads tenderly. “You don’t like the fighting?”

Nirot and the others had yet to begun their fights, and Adam didn’t want to step aside. However, he could feel how tight their grip had become, how taut his clothes had become.

“Jurot, make sure you tell me how the fights go,” Adam said, before getting up, picking his triplets up, and leaving the scene.