The day, the twins were stolen away by their babos and nanos. Toook responsibility over the triplets. Nirot held Lanarot’s hand as the girl led her to watch a fight, the young reparing her ears. Turot and Asorot each held their younger brother’s hands, who were often distracted by the smell in the air whiticed them in.

  Adam and Vonda remaio one side, the half elf holding his daughter to his chest, the girl sug her little dummy. While Adam cradled the girl with one arm, his free hand brushed along the side of his wife’s hand, the pair holding hands for a moment.

  Jurot sat beside Pam, who watched him with curious eyes, impressed by his ability to slice a potato so thinly. Jurot peeled a set of potatoes, slig them thinly as he had been requested, eventually scooping them inte bowl of water, c them to allow them to soak. He ed the purple knife, pg it into the leather, tying it to his side. His eyes fell down to Damrot, who remained snoozing away within his basket, the dummy sometimes bobbing up and down.

  ‘Did I sleep so well as a boy?’

  An old Iyrman stepped into the estate the group were rexing within. He was strongly built, as Iyrman were, and carried a his side, as though he were a member of the Rot family. He had short dark hair and stubble, as though he had shaved the day before the festival. At his forehead was a blue square, fnked by pairs of red crest moons which almost touched tips at the top and bottom. As he he sleeping children, the Iyrman took his pce opposite the pair of husbands and wives.

  Adam bowed his head, and the Iyrmaurned a bow. Eventually, Virot stirred, the girl pushing herself off of her father’s chest, her eyes blinking slowly before she noted her mother to the side. She sucked her dummy with a smile, before she reached over to her mother, but was quickly distracted by her father’s affe. Pam also woke Damrot up to feed the boy.

  “Are you enjoying the festival?” Bovin asked, the Iyrman leaning ba his chair, his eyes glued to the half elf.

  “Yeah.” Adam gently nodded his head. “Yourself?”

  “My heart yearns for blood, but I must remained tent with the heat,” Bovin said, the Iyrman reag up to scratch his and neck. He gowards Vonda for a moment, his eyes darting away since she was feeding her daughter, who reached up to clutch at her mother’s hair. “Have you thought of a name for your seventh?”

  “We’ve discussed it. So far it’s Zirot or Zarot, depending on if it’s a girl or boy.”

  “Would you like a girl or a boy?”

  “It doesn’t matter. As long as I spoil them, I’m happy.”

  “Will you be uo spoil them?” Bovin asked, holding Adam’s gaze.

  Adam replied with an awkward smile, before shrugging his shoulders. “I’m sure I’ll be able to spoil them as much as I like.”

  Bovi out a soft sigh. He reached down to his tunic, revealing a small pieetal, that was about the width of a finger, and about half as long. He held it out for the half elf.

  “What is it?” Adam asked, taking the pieetal from the Iyrman. It was made of silver, ahe warm of someone who had kept it close to his chest. There was an inscription in the Aswadian nguage, the rge aiful flourishes somehow engraved so ly into the metal.

  “The silver was once a part of Suyman al-Walid’s hoard,” Bovin said, almost coyly.

  “Should I know who that is?”

  “The Shen of Shens,” Jurot expined.

  “Ah!” Adam said, his brows suddenly raising in shock, his heartbeat beating a little quicker. ‘Damn!’

  “I have e to gift it to your unborn child,” Bovin said, smiling slightly, though his eyes held no light.

  “Thank you.”

  Bovin slowly nodded his head once more. “It is all I do, since I am no longer allowed to leave the Iyr.”

  “Well, I appreciate it.” Adam stared down at the silver, trying not to broach that topic. “Do you know what the inscription says?”

  “He came for me, but I denied Him.”

  “He?”

  “Presumably it means their Divine Lord, Noor, but for us, it refers to Baktu.”

  “Damn. That guy really was the Shen of Shens, huh?” Adam stared down at the silver. “Even I don’t have the gall to…” Adam thought back to when he had met the Divine. ‘I guess I do have the gall.’

  Once Vonda was done feeding Virot, Adam helped the girl burp, before rubbing his cheek against hers. Bovin remained, reag out a hand to Vonda’s head, rubbing the top of her head for a moment, before he began to speak his family’s tales to the group.

  “Mummy! Mummy! I throw so well!” Jirot excimed as she ran towards her mother, slowing down as her father held out his hand. The girl’s eyes darted to the Iyrman to the side, barely reising him. She rushed up beside her mother and father.

  “Do you remember who this is?”

  “It is… Bovin?” Jirot asked.

  “How did you know?” Adam asked, pig the girl up, before pig up his son, pnting a firm kiss against their necks.

  “Babo tell me.”

  “That’s right. Do you remember what he was?”

  “Elder Wrath, but he did not win.”

  “Who beat him?”

  “Lion King!”

  “Wow! Gosh, look at how smart my daughter is!” Adam kissed her cheek all over. “How about daddy rewards you all with a snack from his home?”

  “Snack?” Jirot asked, her ears twitg slightly.

  ‘I didn’t expeany people to e,’ Adam thought, though he was gd Jurot had cut so many potatoes. “Let me show you.”

  Ohe basins were brought over, allowing them to wash their hands, the Iyrmen stared curiously at the range of fried potato slices before them, with Adam lightly salting them in front of the group.

  “They should have cooled down by now,” Adam said, pig one up, feeling how light the snack was within his hand. “Jurot, your skill with a knife is so scary.”

  “Puthral knives are easy to use,” Jurot replied, as though his abilities had no part iting.

  “Look at it.” Adam stared at the crisp for a long moment, the half elf swallowing. This was the first crisp he’d have in this life. “Crisps. Some people call them chips, and those people also call chips fries, and deserve no respect. They don’t even know how to spell colour, rey, but that’s beside the point.”

  Adam stared at the thinly sliced potato, feeling the memories rush to him, but he blihem away. “Crisps. These were a favourite snaine. You get quite a bit of these in their little bags, though half of it was air, you didn’t want them to break during transportation. They e in all kinds of fvours, but my favourites were probably barbecue, salt and vinegar, and of course, prawn cocktail. It tastes better than it sounds, I promise.”

  They could see the joy in Adam’s eyes, from his ridiculous outburst, to him stating the name of his favourite fvour. “I really want to eat it, so, Jababy, will you have a bite first?”

  Persuasion Check (Advantage)D20 + 6 = 14 (8)D20 + 6 = 20 (14)20!

  Jarot pouted slightly, but opened his mouth slightly, and Adam brought the crisp up to his lips, the boy biting into a small bit, before chewing it slowly. Adam then brought it to his own lips, before spying Jirot’s expet eyes, and the half elf brought it to her lips, allowio have the sed bite, before he popped the st half into his own mouth. The saltiness filled his tohe ch against his mors, to the point small bits mao slip between his teeth, causing the half elf to wince.

  “Not bad, but the fvours of my home are much better.” Adam trated, motioning with his hand, before calling forth the words of his magic. He fvoured the crisps with salt and vinegar at first, allowing the Iyrmen to taste the crisps. He brought a small piece up to his son’s lips, who nibbled bits of the crisps. The boy pulled away and coughed, while Adam brought the gourd of milk to his son’s lips. “No salt and vinegar, eh?”

  “No…” Jarot shook his head.

  “Okay, okay, how about this.” Adam snatched a crisp, feeling the panic rise within him, and cast his trice more, calling forth the magic as he recalled the fvour. ‘If there’s a God of Food out there, od of Children, please!’ “This is prawn cocktail, daddy’s favourite. Just a little bite, and that’s it, okay?”

  Persuasion Check (Advantage)D20 + 6 = 18 (12)D20 + 6 = 23 (17)23!

  “Okay…”

  Adam brought it to his son’s lips, the boy nibbling it slightly, while Jirot grumbled quietly, before she took a bite of it, slowly chewing the crisp. “What do you two think?”

  “I like it,” Jirot said. “It is so yummy.”

  “Yeah?” Adam smiled, leaning in to kiss her forehead. “Daddy loves it so much, too.”

  The older Jarot winced slightly at the fvour, noting the explosion of sourness against his tongue. ‘Rajin will enjoy this.’

  “Daddy,” little Jarot called.

  “Yes?”

  “More?”

  “More?” Adam asked.

  “Poan caktell?”

  “You want more crisps?” Adam asked, blinking.

  “Mm.”

  Adam blinked again. His heart throbbed slightly, the half elf rushing with a deep warmth, before he leaned down to kiss his son’s forehead. He brought the boy’s head to his chest, for a moment, swaying slightly.

  “Of course! Of course, my boy!” Adam’s throat trembled, the half elf reag out to snatch more crisps, pg them upon a pte, before he cast his spell. “You have as much prawn cocktail crisps as you want. This is how I know you’re my son! Who else but my children could appreciate prawn cocktail?” Adam pnted firm kisses all over his son’s forehead, the tears trig down the sides of his cheek. “Make sure you thank papo for cutting the crisps so well, yeah?”

  “Thank you, papo,” little Jarot called, the boy’s eyes meeting Jurot’s.

  Jurot nodded, keeping his emotions at bay, not wanting to feel anything before he saw it. “You eat so well, Jarot.”

  Though the Iyrmen had cautiously ate the crisps with curiosity, they pulled away from the snacks, allowing the little boy to eat as much as he wahey watched as Jirot picked up a crisp and brought it up to her brother’s lips, letting the boy have the first bite, before she ate the sed, and allowing him the st third of the crisp. She repeated this with each crisp, brushing her brother’s hair and cheek with each bite.

  “You eat so well, Jarot,” the girl said, firming her uncle’s words.

  The boy tio eat, crisp after crisp, eating dozens upon dozens, before only the crumbs of the crisps remaihe boy sipped away at his milk, before leaning back against his father, cuddling up to him.

  The other Iyrmen had all snuces towards the boy, but it was Jurot who had watched every bite. The Iyrmahe wave of relief rush through him, the pride that he had assisted in feeding his hough it was marred by the fact the situation called for such relief.

  Vonda covered her face as she sobbed as quietly as she could. Pam also began to cry, hiding her face within her own hand. Jurot reached out for her shoulder, squeezing her shoulder lightly.

  “Mummy?” Jirot called out, while she and her brother, as well as the triplets all rushed up to their mother. “Mummy, you are hurting?”

  “I’m okay,” Vonda assured, wiping her eyes with the back of her hands, before blowing her o a handkerchief. She reached down to rub her children’s heads, rubbing along their cheeks. “Did you enjoy the crisps?”

  “Yes,” Jirot replied. “I like it.”

  “Yummy, mummy,” Jarot firmed.

  The older Jarot threw a look to his wife, before he closed his eyes, trating on dealing with the sudden surge of emotions filling him.

  Larot let out a small sigh, the boy leaning back against Mirot, closing his eyes to fall asleep. ‘A child should eat freely.’

  The ripples of joy expanded out from the shared estate, through the Iyr as the news spreads. It wasn’t just joy, but hope. A hope that finally they could fix the one issue which pgued them for millennia.

  A hope which Adam would soon dash right to the Great Elder’s faces.

  I teared up just reading this chapter. I didn't do it justibsp;