Little Murot hugged his elder sister tightly, so tightly, Adam was sure Nirot was going to explode. The boy chortled with a bald joy, it almost washed away the guilt within the young Iyrman. She lifted the boy up with ease, holding his round form above her, causing Murot to cp excitedly.

  “Kaka! Kaka!”

  “I have returned,” Nirot said, having deyed her return to the shared estate until her brother’s birthday, upon the first day of the ninth month, the st month of duskval. She pulled him close to her chest, brushing the back of his head, feeling how thick his hair had grown. “Have you eaten?”

  “Pe, and fruit, and cips.”

  “Cips?”

  “Cips,” the boy say. “Bahbeko cips.”

  “Barbecue crisps,” Adam expined. “I thought he might want something bursting with fvour since he was eating some pretty pin stuff, before uncle Bam here brought over some jam donuts.”

  Bam sat to one side, lost within his thoughts, even when his name had been called. He kept repying the ses over in his mind, Jarot rejeg everything he made, only ever smelling the food, sometimes toug it with his hands.

  Nirot nuzzled against her brother’s cheek. She and the other teens had goo the fort while Adam was busy, having thought they could use the opportunity to try and find a way to go out to fight. She held Murot within her arms, still uo bear looking at the twins, or the little red skioddler.

  Murot twitched within his sister’s arms, his eyes glued to the man alked in. He was lean, with shoulder length hair, and carried a rge bde upon his back with a serrated edge, like shark teeth. The man reached out his hands, and his daughter passed along his you son to him.

  ‘You could message her father,’ Rajin had said that evening.

  ‘Yeah, but…’ Adam had replied, falling into thought. It was then the words escaped his lips as part of the spell. ‘Granduncle.’

  Gorot still wasn’t sure what Adam had told Kamrot, especially sidering how the old man had threateo cut his neck off. His bde had barely mao save him as the old man almost cut him down where he stood out of the blue. It was the grief, however, which had caused him to return with the young Iyrmen, from Naqokan to Faool.

  “Daddy…” Gurot looked up to his father.

  “e,” Gorot called, lifting his eldest son up, the pair of boys a year apart, ahey were almost identical in how much they enjoyed eating. He held them close to his chest, allowing them to hug him tight, clutg at his tunic.

  Adam approached the shared family estate beside their own, finding little Tinajin, the girl’s curly hair flowing out like the sun,

  “No magical on this time,” Adam assured, holding out a small amber for the girl.

  “Is it an amber this year?” Tijin joked.

  “This year,” Adam firmed. “I’m afraid I could only return Uwajin this time, and not Timojin, but I’ll be sure to give him a good talking to when I see him, okay, Tinajin?”

  The girl bli the half elf, befng towards her father, reag out for his hand.

  “Do not turn away, Tinajin,” Tijin said, holding the girl’s hand with his finger and thumb. “He is Adam, Mokan’s cousin.”

  “Mo kaza?” Tinajin asked.

  “Yes.”

  “I’m gd yrowing well, Tinajin.” Adam fshed a smile, before waving his hand to the rest of the Iyrmen, including Rajin.

  Adam tio spoil the children, with Faool feeding Maool, Naqokan holding Minakan, then visiting Majin and Mijin, who were named fusingly, sidering their family’s typical favourite vowels. He sat down ao Majin personally.

  “You fight dragons?” the boy asked.

  “I did.”

  “My papa not fight dragons?”

  “I don’t know, but he’s very strong.”

  Majin smiled, gng down at the book, before swiping his hand through his hair. “Papa is ing back soon?”

  “Do you wao ask him?”

  The boy nodded.

  Mana: 25 -> 22Spell: Sending

  “Hey, Timojin. Your brother is asking when yoing to return.”

  There was a long moment of silence.

  ‘Soon. Please spoil him on my behalf.’

  Adam smirked towards the rest of the family. “He says he’ll be back soon, and that I o spoil Majin on his behalf.”

  “If he has said so, I ot refuse,” Tijin joked.

  “I’ll py with you a little today, but I o go and…” Adam smiled awkwardly. “Well, I o teach my children something today.”

  “Teag?” Majin asked.

  “Yeah.” Adam reached out and ruffled the boy’s hair, only to realise he had rui, flushing red. He brushed the boy’s hair back with his hand, before using the brush Tijin offered. The Iyrman gave the half elf no bother for his mistake, and gred at the others who thought to.

  The others wondered how long Adam would dey it, but after lunch, Adam took Jirot and Jarot away. Gangak and Otkan followed him, watg as the half elf undid his daughter’s shirt, pulling her onto his p, his own torso bare, holding her head to his chest. He didn’t looked down upon Jirot’s torso, not wanting to see it.

  “Now, daddy needs you to sit still, okay?”

  “Okay,” Jirot replied.

  “Daddy is the only ohat do something like this, so if someone asks you to take off your clothes and they’ll give you magic, you tell them that they’re going to die if they tinue, uand?”

  “I uand.”

  “Daddy’s going to Awaken you. Yoing to learn magid how to ent, but you ot tell anybody, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “Jirot, listen to me. You ot cause trouble with this. It’s dangerous. People will get hurt. You ot do that, okay?”

  “Okay…” The girl stared up into her father’s eyes, noting his serious they were. “I will not, daddy!”

  “I know…” Adam brought her close to his chest, pnting a firm kiss on her forehead. “I need you to sit still for an hour or two. So daddy will hold you. It might feel a little hot and tingly inside you, it’s just daddy’s magic, though. I’m not…” Adam swallowed. “Do you see, daddy is hugging you.”

  “I see.”

  “I have to hug you just for the magic, but you ’t let anyone else do something like this! Especially if you don’t want it!” Adam urged.

  “I know.” Jirot hugged her father back, feeling the warmth of his chest, feeling his beati against her cheek.

  Thus Adam began to Awaken his daughter. Even upon Jitool’s birthday, where he allowed the girl to py with Jirot and Jarot all day. He also allowed his twins to head to the shared estate with the birthday girl, as they were her best friends, and also her nied nephew.

  Each day, Adam looked worse and worse, his skin growing paler, the bags under his eyes darkening.

  “Okay?” Kavgak asked upon her birthdays, holding Adam’s hand.

  “Okay,” Adam assured.

  “Rest?”

  “I will rest ter,” Adam promised, smiling at the girl, who had always looked after him, even as a baby. Who was as sweet or as stern as their Kavgak?

  As the half elf handed over an amber to Tavgak, the girl smiled, before pouting up at the pale Adam. She began to cry, before being soothed by her mother.

  “Cousin Adam will be well soon,” Kaygak assured.

  “Kaza!” Tavgak cried, the tears streaming down her cheeks, only stopping as Adam wiped them.

  “Why are y on your birthday? e o me feed you, before I feed everything to Gurot.”

  “Bahbecoo?” Gurot asked, the boy’s eyes expet.

  “If that’s what my cousin wants,” Adam assured, the half elf feeding the birthday children. He snue food for Murot too, but Gurot began sharing some food with his younger brother by himself. ‘How adorable!’

  Turot and Asorot both watched as the half elf fed their younger brother, and like when he had fed Murot, they said nothing though they wao feed their brother too.

  Adam made his way to the Gek family estate around noon, finding his uhere, who gnced over towards him, and the trio who rushed up to him.

  “Sorry, but they were a little upset because I didn’t bring them st time,” Adam said.

  “You do not o apologise,” Tonagek replied, hugging each of the triplets, before allowing them to take their pce beside him.

  “Do you mind if I give my gift and go?” Adam whispered. “I o get to work.”

  “You may,” Tonagek said, standing up, his eyes shooting to the side, to a figure who remaiill and motionless, almost like a statue.

  Adam handed Danagek a gem, pig the boy up, groaning. “Oof! They’re feeding you well, eh?”

  “Yes,” Danagek replied with a smile.

  Adam hugged the boy, before letting him down. “You make sure you eat as much as you want today, and if aells you off, you tell me, and I’ll tell cousin Jurot, okay?”

  “Okay!”

  “I will escort you,” Tonagek said. “Konarot, Kirot, Karot. Yrandaunt will watch over for you now.”

  “Nana?”

  “Yes,” Tonagek assured, bowing his head over towards his wife. “I will return soon.”

  “Okay…”

  Dogek watched them go, noting how sick the young half elf looked. He hadn’t known the boy had bee beset by such a siess. Adam was like the picture of feebleness.

  Adam didn’t speak up as the Iyrman took him in a particur dire. They came across the extended family estate of a particur family, and as Adam’s eyes darted to the er, he realised why. “This is awkward.”

  “It is?” Tonagek asked.

  “I already sent my gift to the business.”

  “She has received it,” Tonagek said, as though he knew.

  Adam approached the Mir family estate, gng down at the children, waving his hands, befreeting the appropriate pair first. “I’m surprised to see you here.”

  “We have only just arrived,” Amira said, while Ranya stared curiously at the half elf. She was adorned in red, with yellow trim. Her hair had been freshly cut so she was bald, but Adam had made sure to send a gem to her too, which should have been more than enough for the girl’s first birthday.

  “Happy birthday to you,” Adam said, dropping down to a knee, holding her hand, rubbing it gently. “Did daddy say happy birthday too?”

  "Aba!” The girl squealed, before looking around, uo find her father. She spotted Ashmir and the girl hid behind her mother.

  “Oh my! You talk already? Aren’t you so smart!” Adam tickled the girl’s cheek, causio squeal areat behind her mother further, Adam making sure she didn’t actally knee her mother’s stomach. “Where is he anyway?”

  “Returning to the business,” Amira replied. “He wished for Ranya to meet her family, but did not wish to be away from the business for too long.”

  Adam gnced around at the Mir family, noting their eyes upon him, then upohers. Ashmir bowed his head to the half elf, who returned a bow. ‘I guess he made his decision about Ashmir then?’

  “I don’t want to take up too much of your time,” Adam said, tig the girl’s nose once more, before stepping back. “Let me know if you need anything.”

  “I need you to tell Dunes not to have me move so much while I’m pregnant,” Amira said.

  “If you ’t stop him, there’s no me stopping him,” Adam joked. “I’ll let him know, though.”

  Amira smiled slightly, but Adam didn’t he sadness within her smile, as he waved and said his goodbyes to the Mir family. His steps were a little quicker, and though he was still feeling the ache within his body from Awakening Jirot, the joy in his heart forced it away. Ranya was the st child he o say happy birthday to, until it was the seventh day of the ninth month.

  I miss Ranya.