“What am I to do?” Adam asked, rubbing his chin. “I did not give them permission to be this cute, but here they are, not listening to their daddy.”

Jirot smiled and gurgled up at her father. Compared to even a week ago, she was much chubbier, her cheeks having filled out. It was the same for baby Jarot, the pair having grown more over the past week.

Adam had watched as they grew day by day, but upon recalling them a month ago, when they had been born, they were so much bigger now. They were still tiny in comparison to the other children, especially Gurot, but they were no longer small enough for Adam to hold their entire forms from the tip of his finger to his wrist.

“I’ve got to go enchant today, so make sure you be good for nana and babo, okay?” Adam said, brushing their hair gently, before he went to go enchant.

Upon returning, he found a familiar beautiful Devilkin Shaman looming over his twins. Adam rushed over quickly, before realising that she was just checking up on them. Their eyes were glued to Lokat’s red form, and they smiled wide, before staring at her, as though mesmerised.

“Shaman Lokat,” Adam said, crossing his arms. “Isn’t it inappropriate for-,” Adam punched his thigh, stopping the stupid joke which had come to his lips. “Shaman Lokat, it’s good to see you. I hope you have been well.”

Lokat remained silent for a moment, her eyes suspicious. “Well. Yourself?”

“Well, thank you,” Adam replied. “Is something wrong with my Jarot and Jirot?”

“No,” Lokat replied. “They are growing well, the same as your Cousins.”

Adam’s shoulders fell as he sighed. “Good, good. Thanks for checking up on them.”

“There is no need for thanks, Adam,” Lokat said. “It is my role.”

“What role requires no thanks?” Adam asked. “Those who grow the food I eat? Those who assist in picking up the food I eat? Those who cut down the wood which warm me at night? Those who carry the wood to warm me at night? Those who take care of my children’s health?”

Lokat bowed her head simply. “It will be cold soon, but you should not interfere with the triplets in how they regulate their body temperature. They are Half Dragons, and those whose scales shine silver enjoy the cold.”

Adam nodded his head. “Alright. Thank you, Shaman Lokat.”

“You are welcome, Nephew Adam.” The Shaman left, going to check up on the children in the next estate.

“What was inappropriate for a Shaman?” Sonarot asked, understanding she’d need to explain this to Elder Zijin.

“I was going to make a joke,” Adam said. “I decided against it.”

“What was the joke?”

“Isn’t it inappropriate for Shaman Lokat to steal my children away from me just because they’re cute?” Adam asked. “Then I remembered that I shouldn’t joke so much because otherwise I’ll end up getting killed.”

Sonarot smiled. “You are growing well too, Adam.”

“Who doesn’t grow well in the Iyr?”

Jarot nodded his head at Adam’s words, for there were times when even he was right.

“Will you enchant tomorrow?” Sonarot asked. “You said you would rest two days weekly.”

“Right…” Adam rubbed the side of his neck. “I was just really lucky yesterday so…”

“There will always be days to enchant later.”

“The Iyr’s preparing for something, isn’t it?” Adam whispered. “I should probably work hard for it.”

“You are working hard enough,” Sonarot assured. “Come. Eat.”

Adam sat down beside her, accepting the flat bread and meat, which he had worked into a wrap. Konarot climbed onto his lap, before she returned back to eating her food. Karot stood beside him, clutching at his father’s shoulder, mouth open. Adam brought his wrap up for the boy to bite, before offering his food to his children.

‘This life is great,’ Adam thought, feeding his children between his own bites, though making sure they did not eat from where he bit, just in case it would make them sick.

Omen: 2, 3

‘I guess I’m taking a break today.’ Adam noted Sonarot’s smile to his facial expression.

Adam trained lightly, before playing with the children, before Taygak left to go eat with those she studied with, and the rest all gathered around to eat breakfast.

“They are so small, Cousin Adam,” Katool said, looking to the babies.

“That’s right,” Adam replied, nodding his head. “So small and cute.”

Katool nodded her head in response. “They will stay small all time?”

“No.” Adam sighed sadly, which caused the girl to tilt her head at him. “They will one day grow up big and strong. One day they will be as big as you, Katool, and then they will be as big as your mother and father.”

Katool looked up to her mother, before throwing Adam a suspicious look. “No. They are small.”

“They are small now, but one day they will be as big as your mother and father. One day even you, Cousin Katool, will be as big as your mother.”

Once again the girl looked at her mother, before looking back up at Adam with the same suspicious look. “What are you saying, Cousin Adam?”

“It’s true,” Adam said, raising his brows at her, as though daring her to call him a liar.

“That is not… Mother is so big!” Katool pointed to her mother emphatically to prove her point. “I am so small!” She nodded her head at her statement, her little bob bouncing.

“Hmmm.” Adam narrowed his eyes. “I think you’re right, Cousin Katool, but I also think I am right.”

“No,” Katool stated firmly. “You are always joking, Cousin Adam.”

“It’s not a joke.”

Katool puffed out her cheeks, her brow raised as she shook her head at Adam, as though telling him off. Then she took a bite of her porridge, shaking her head at the Half Elf.

“It is true,” Citool, the girl’s mother, said. “One day you will be as big as me.”

Katool swallowed her porridge and opened her mouth in shock, blinking towards her mother like an Aldishman in the Iyr, full of shock. She furrowed her brows, even giving her mother a suspicious look, before looking to Adam once more, thinking perhaps he had done something to his mother, but then she looked back to her mother, understanding that there was no way she would lie to her.

The girl began to cry.

Adam’s smile turned into a frown instantly, all the while Citool placed a hand on Katool’s head, gently rubbing it. She tried to soothe her daughter with her touch, letting the girl cry for a few moments, before she finally stopped, wiping her eyes with the backs of her hand, and then her nose into the cloth her mother had brought to her nose.

“Do you like to make children cry?” Jaygak teased.

“If she didn’t want me to bully her into crying, she shouldn’t be so cute when she cries,” Adam stated in response, before sitting taller as though he had the moral high ground.

Kitool narrowed her eyes. She wanted to step into the conversation, but on the most fundamental level, what Adam had said was true. She closed her eyes, taking a moment to berate herself. “Adam. You must apologise.”

“I’ll apologise, but I want the record to show that it was Aunt Citool who…” Adam paused, thinking about what he was saying. ‘Am I really going to throw her under the bus after all she’s done for my children?’ “I’m sorry, Katool.”

Katool looked up at Adam, sniffling, before she returned back to her mother. She didn’t know why she cried, but since everyone was blaming Adam, it must have been his fault. She held onto her mother for a long while.

‘Hold on, I didn’t even do anything,’ Adam thought. “How can you all bully me in front of my children?”

The Iyrmen threw glances past Adam’s shoulder, noting the approaching figure. The older woman, who wore an axe at her side, stated her greetings, before taking a seat beside her husband. The Iyrmen returned back to their food while Sonarot handed her a bowl of porridge and a platter of fruit, allowing her to eat breakfast with them.

Mulrot’s eyes fell to the Half Dragons, though they remained at Adam’s side. The triplets ate from their own bowls, accepting the fruit which had been placed before them too.

Once breakfast was over, Adam reached for the baskets of the twins.

“No,” Jarot said. “You may take them later.”

Adam stood there awkwardly for a moment, but he relented, allowing them to remain with their greatfather for the morning. He left with his triplets, making his way to the park to relax. The others also went about their business, save for Sonarot and Mirot, taking over the duties of taking care of the babies that day. Nirot remained behind to clean up the pots and pans, with Churot’s assistance.

“When are you going to return?” Mulrot asked.

“I will not return,” Jarot replied.

“I miss Churot.”

“Churot, do you wish to go with your nana?”

Churot glanced between his grandfather and grandmother. They were the two closest to him, though he spent most of his time with his grandfather. However, like Jurot, Churot spent a moment thinking of the family politics. He stepped up beside his grandmother.

“To think even you betrayed me.” Jarot sighed. “Will you betray me too when you’re older, little Jarot?” He reached down to tickle the boy’s cheek, causing him to squirm for a moment, before he smiled, seeing his greatfather’s face above him. “My little Jarot, stay with me forever. Little Jirot, you must stay with me too!”

Mulrot sighed, before standing, leading Churot out with her. She had come to convince him to return, and though she wasn’t actually using Churot as a bargaining chip, she assumed he would come if Churot was to return back to the main estate. Jarot’s place was in the main family estate, assisting with taking care of the extended family.

Yet, upon seeing how he cooed over the pair of Goblins, in those few moments, she realised it was nigh impossible to bring him back. Jarot was too far gone.