The early m rays of sunlight fell upon the Iyr. The Iyrmen made their way to their assigasks, tending to the fields, chopping down trees, crafting everything from shoes, to bows, to books. From the young, who were studying, those who were older who taught the youth, and those between.

  "Okay," Churot said, passing the slip to the Elder, who checked his he Elder nodded, reag down to ruffle his hair for only a moment, before allowing the young Iyrman leave.

  "His skills are so good, one might thing it is magic," the Elder said, gng aside to her aide. It was times like this she thought to ask the Great Elders to allow Churot to remain as her own aide, but she uood just how many Elders coveted the boy too. 'I should thank Zijin for lending the boy this much.'

  Ohe warehouses' iories were checked by the young teeurned back to the Elder's estate, where he found Zijin staring down at his book. It was not the bck book he sometimes wrote within, but another, pin, book. He rarely wrote within the book, but was beginning to write within it more retly.

  "Ah, Churot. e." Zijin motioned with a hand, before g the shaft of ahe shaft was made of dark wood, ed in a long, thick leather, the bde made of quality steel. "Do you know of this axe?"

  "It is granduncle's axe."

  "How did you remember?"

  "Grandfather spoke of granduncle when he left," Churot replied. "He held the axe and spoke of its tale."

  Zijin smiled. "I have a few requests of you today, and ohose requests are plete, you may remain at the shared estate."

  "Okay."

  While Churot tio assist the Elder, his cousins prepared themselves for their own work that m.

  "Retiring?" Adam asked, furrowing his brows.

  "I have done all I wish to do, and more. It is time for me to step back." The young red skinned Iyrman sipped at her tea.

  "What are you talking about? You're not even a Parago, why do you o step back?"

  Jaygak raised her brows, smiling slightly. "If I bee a Paragon, I will overshadow Taygak."

  "No, no. You be a Paragon, and I'll make Taygak into an Idol."

  Jaygak almost shough her lips formed a wide smile. "That's why I should retire, so you moderate yourself."

  "I'll make her strohan all the Idols if you quit now."

  "It seems the Gak family is on the rise," Jaygak joked, staring down at the water within her cup. It that had been roughly formed, from one of the first which the girl's hands had made. "I have requested the Iyr to allow you to train Taygak."

  "Me? Jaygak, you should be the oo train her."

  "It has to be you."

  "I don't even use a sword!"

  "I know, but you find the sword the most romantic."

  "That's beside the point."

  "The point is that I have reached the height I want to reach. I will keep training, cultivating my abilities within the Iyr, for the Iyr. I am almost a master, by the end of the year, I may reach such a great height." Jaygak let go of the cup, staring at her rough palms, noting all the calluses. She ched her fist, as tightly as she could, before rexing her hand once more.

  "You really want to stop here, when you bee a Paragon?"

  "Yes."

  Adam frowned, and he gnced down at his own cup, alshly formed, though not quite as badly as Jaygak's cup. It had been one of the first gifts he had received in the Iyr, a gift he could no longer receive in such a state since she had learnt well within the Iyr's walls. 'Damn it.'

  "Adam?"

  "Yeah?"

  "Will you promise me something?"

  "Why would I promise you something when you've broken my heart like this?" Adam asked, sipping his fvoured water, peeking at the young Iyrman as he did.

  "If Taygak begins training with you now, she will bee an Expert by the time she leaves the Iyr. She fight in the younger segment with mundane equipment, and she win. With you, she could join the ment, and with the magical equipment her cousin make for her, she will be able to win that segment."

  "So what's the favour?"

  "She has to win."

  "Yes, but what's the favour?"

  "Adam. She must win."

  "Who do you think I am?" Adam asked. "Of course she's going to win, it's Taygak. She's so hard w, and her cousin, isn't he a fool who will gift a Greater shield and pte to her?"

  Jaygak's lips formed a small relieved smile, and she closed her eyes. She knew Adam was going to accept, si was Adam, but upon hearing the words, she let out a long exhale and whatever regrets she held from quitting, fell away with the cool breeze.

  "Everything's ging..." Adam said, his voice almost whisper quiet. "I don't like it."

  "The winds of ge wait for no Iyrman, or half elf."

  "What about my adorable children? It should at least let them stay small and cute forever, shouldn't it?"

  "It should."

  "Cousin Jaygak, cousin Adam," called a small voice, roached the pair, holding up an axe in hand. "Cousin Jaygak, Elder Zijin is calling for you. Cousin Adam, you must have this axe."

  "Why must I have this axe?"

  "You must have it because Elder Zijin said you must have it," Churot said.

  "Oh, alright." Adam could feel how heavy the axe was, seeing his murky refle withieel. He he steel was scratched slightly from use, it was certainly not a bde that had been fed retly. "Nice axe."

  "It is granduncle Sarot's axe," Churot said.

  "Oh? Granduncle's? Then why am I being given it?"

  Churot blinked. "I do not know."

  "Fair enough. How are you doing today, Churot?"

  "I am well."

  "Having fun w with Elder Zijin?"

  "Yes. I am relieved from my duties for today." He looked to Jaygak, who smiled, nodding her head before exg herself to go speak with the Elder.

  "Oh? How e?"

  "I do not know."

  "Fair enough." Adam motioned a hand to the seat Jaygak had left empty. Churot stared at the seat. "You want to sit down?"

  "Yes."

  "..."

  Churot thought for a moment, before sitting opposite his cousiared at the axe for a moment. "Granduncle's axe is heavy."

  "It is, isn't it?"

  "Yes."

  "Yeah..." Adam took in the sight of the young Iyrman. He was in his teens, the bnkness of his forehead revealed he was not yet sidered a man. He was getting older, though, and would sooattooed with the blue circle and diamonds. ‘You’re all grown up now, Churot.’

  “Cousin Adam?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Do you have work today?”

  “Yeah. I should go soon.” Adam sipped the rest of his water.

  “Thank you for your hard work, cousin Adam.”

  “Thank you for your hard work, cousin Churot.” Adam reached up to rubbed the top of his head, the teen squirming slightly, before watg the half elf leave, first greeting his children, his wife, then even Ranya, before heading out.

  “Kiara?” Adam asked, blinking towards the young teen as he approached the shrine. She was small and lean, and though she was going to tureen this year, she still looked only thirteen. Her hair and eyes matched his triplets, sparkling silver. ‘I keep fetting you exist.’

  “Hello…” Kiara replied simply, before she began to walk out.

  “What were you doing here?”

  “I was waiting to see if you were enting.”

  “Oh. Alright. How e I didn’t see you yesterday?”

  “I was enting.”

  ‘Did they ask her to sub in while I wasn’t w?’ “Thank you for your hard work,” Adam said.

  Kiara only nodded her head, before she returo the Rot family estate. Her eyes darted towards the Iyrman who escorted her, but she returned her gaze back to the ground.

  ‘If they had her miss Lanarot’s birthday, these Reavers must be a big deal.’ Adam gnced down towards the three ons which had been assigo him to plu entment upon. He could start the entments, and the Iyr’s enters could tihem. Due to his ability as a Chaos Enter, he could ent essentially any and all entments, with some effort. Thankfully, the Iyr asked him to ent the ons with something simple, a Greater Enhanced entment.

  ‘A plus two and a couple of charges to deal extra damage?’ Adam tossed the paper into the fire, rubbing the side of his neck. ‘I suppose it’s time to start enting then. Wait. Hold on. Where’s Filliam?’

  Thus Adam’s routine began the seonth of dawnval.

  Taygak followed Adam and the rest of her panions in the m as they ran along the perimeter of the estate plex, following the outline of the nine shared estates. They first walked a p, then ran a p, followed by another half p before they began the light routine Adam had formed, sisting mostly of a full body routih weights, pleting a light set to warm up, followed by tw sets.

  ‘How else should I train her?’ Adam thought, though he decided against introdug any swordpy too soon. ‘I’ll have her keep training with the Gak family while I figure something out. If only I…’ Adam blinked, his eyes gng to the side towards the Asair who had joined him in his training.

  “Dunes?”

  “Yes?”

  “Would you mind training Taygak with swordpy while I figure something out?”

  “Okay,” Dunes replied, though a moment ter wondered if he was allowed to train the young woman.

  It was during the first week of the month Adam thought about it. He brought the blended fruit to Ranya’s lips, the girl sug the food off the spoon. The girl was still small, though rger than his own Virot. She was warmer, though, apparently due to her devilkin nature. As he finished his thoughts, he tio feed little Ranya, allowing Amira a break.

  “Look at you, so adorable,” Adam cooed once he was done feeding her. He gently tickled the girl’s h a finger, causio squeal with delight. “What, you think just because you’re so cute, I’ll spoil you on my day off? Of course I will!”

  Ranya brought her hand up to her mouth, sug against it as she smiled up towards Adam. She reached up to grab at him with her hands, trying to grab at his face.

  “Ranya,” Amira called, noting how disappointed Adam’s own children were. The girl turowards her mother, and upon spotting her, reached out for the woman.

  “Adam, may we speak?” Dunes asked ohe half elf had surrehe girl. The pair stepped out, while Dunes gnced around the Iyr, noting the long wall around him, and the other Iyrmen who moved about, busying themselves with work. “I should return soon.”

  “ht.”

  “Could I leave Amira and Ranya here, until y your children to the fort?”

  “Of…” Adam paused, humming quietly to himself. As much as he wao say yes, he was no Iyrman. “I’ll ask Jurot.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Are you willing to surrender Ranya to me finally?”

  “No.”

  “You ’t deny me my rights, though.”

  “What rights are those?” Dunes replied, raising a brow towards the half elf.

  “Don’t say that! Aren’t we friends?”

  Dunes chuckled, before turning to return back to the estate. He had half expected the half elf to call after him, though as he turned back, he noted Adam was staring at the floor. “Adam?”

  “Ah, right. Remio ask Jurot when I return.”

  “Okay…” Dunes watched as the half elf made his way out, motioning an Iyrman to escort him. He returned back to the estate, where he found a child’s eyes upon him.

  “Daddy is gone?” Jirot asked.

  “He is…” Dunes replied awkwardly.

  Jirot huffed, turning to her mother. “You see? Daddy is always w. I always tell him. Today he must not work, but he is w again?”

  “Elder Gold said that there is trouble, so your father must work,” Vonda said, rubbing the top of the girl’s head.

  “I said I will not cause trouble!” Jirot stated proudly. “I will not!”

  “You are not the trouble.” Vonda couldn’t help but ugh at her daughter’s words, gd she uood she did cause so much trouble.

  “Just a little bit, okay mummy?”

  “Just a little bit,” Vonda firmed.

  Meanwhile, Adam’s brow trickled with sweat. ‘Should I wait for the Chief to return? They won’t kill me for this, will they? No, what am I saying, if they wao kill me because of this, they would have killed me st time.’

  You thought Ranya was safe? He'll make her into an Idol before she steps out of the Iyr.