“Apple?” Adam offered to little Danagek, whose eyes darted up to his cousin. The boy blinked ily before reag up to the piece of fruit. The pair sat within the shared estate of the Gek, Sen, Ooj, and Nuu families, though many of the childrehe pair be to one side.

  “Thank you,” the boy said, shoving the half slice of apple into his mouth, chewing it slowly.

  “Do you like apples?”

  “I like apples,” the boy firmed. “Do you like apples?”

  “I like apples too. I prefer salya, though.”

  “Is too mushy,” the boy replied. “I like salya, and I like apple, and I like bread.”

  “You like bread too?” Adam asked. ‘You really are your cousin’s cousin.’

  “Mm. I like daddy’s bread. I like mommy’s bread.” The boy blinked. “I do not like kako’s bread.”

  “I see. Why do you not like kako’s bread?”

  “Is too soft.”

  “You like hard bread?”

  “Mmm,” the boy firmed, while accepting the slice of apple from Adam. “Kaza Adam?”

  “Yes?”

  “Sometimes you like bread?”

  “I like bread most times.”

  “Do you like shields?”

  “Not to eat.”

  “Daddy said shields are not for eating,” the boy firmed. “Why shields taste so good?”

  “If they tasted badly, would we make shields?” Adam asked.

  Danagek blinked. “No?”

  “Whose to say?” Adam replied, shrugging his shoulders.

  The boy blinked. “My papa has shield.”

  “Dagek has a shield?” Adam asked. ‘Why does a baby need a shield?’ Adam ignored how many shields and ons he had gifted to children.

  “No, papa Tanagek.”

  “Tanagek?” Adam asked, recalling the deceased elder brother of the boy. He flushed slightly, uo help the feeling he artly responsible, sidering how it led to his triplets being found.

  “When papa e back, I py with shield?”

  “I’m sure you , but you ot eat it,” Adam said, before noting the look of betrayal on the boy’s face.

  ‘How he say this?’ Danagek pouted, before Adam held out another apple to him. The boy gnced away, refusing it, before looking back towards the apple, noting its curved shape, like that of the moon that was eaten, and already he could feel the fvours dang upon his tongue. He reached out and accepted it from his cousin. “Thank you.”

  “Tanagek should return soon,” Tonagek said, limping over towards the pair, holding a sleepy Dagek within his arms, the boy sug on his thumb. However, even he was unsure of when his son would return, especially when his younger brother had passed. ‘You should e to greet your younger brothers soon.’

  “Are you excited to meet your older brother?” Adam asked, brushing Danagek’s hair.

  “Yes…” The boy flushed as his eyes darted downwards, his smile so shy and bashful.

  ‘Our Danagek is so adorable too, isn’t he?’ Adam thought, reag up to ruffle the boy’s hair, before fixing it with gentle brushes. ‘You punk, how could you not spoil your brother when he’s waiting for you?’

  “Daddy, daddy!” Jirot called, dashing towards her father, her younger brother’s little legs stomping towards him, while Gangak trailed behind the pair. “Is kako!”

  “Yes?” Adam asked, watg as his daughter panted for air. The pair held one anaze, before Adam shot up. “Oh!”

  The shared estate of the Rot, Gak, Kan, and Ool families held a tense air, the children each feeling the heaviness within the air. The Iyrmen acted as though everything was normal, though kept the children to one side, while the Rot family dealt with their matter within their home, the Shaman assisting them.

  “Adam,” Gangak called, motioning to a seat.

  Adam’s eyes darted around, noting the ck of Jurot and Vonda. ‘Shouldn’t I also…’ Adam furrowed his brows. He gnced down at his seven children, each waiting to one side, with Jirot and Jarot staring at their father expetly. The half elf dropped down beside Konarot, reag down to rub her cheek, before his eyes fell to the other children’s eyes.

  “Is kaza okay?” Inakan asked.

  “I’m sure she’ll be fine,” Adam replied. “Shall we py some…” Adam gnced betweeher Iyrmen. ‘Is it rude to py games at this time?’

  “I would like to py Warriors and Wanderers,” Gangak said, smiling slightly, noting hoard Adam was at this time. Last time, the births had been more open, but she was sure it hurt for him not to be there this time.

  “Okay,” Adam replied.

  “Adam?” Gangak called.

  “Yeah?”

  “Since you will not see the child right away, you should spoil them deeply.”

  Adam’s lips formed a small smile. “Of course.”

  “Daddy! I spoil too?” Jirot asked.

  “Of course you , since you are their elder cousin.”

  “I spoil because I am kaza?”

  “Of course.”

  Jirot let out a small sigh, sitting a little taller. “Of cuhrs.”

  “Me too, daddy?” Jarot asked, the boy tilting his head downwards, making his amber eyes appear so much rger to his father.

  Adam reached out to poke the boy’s nose. “Will aop our Jarot from spoiling his kaza?”

  “Kekekeke,” the boy cackled lightly.

  Tonagek arrived as Adam prepared the game, while Gangak cut fruit aables for the children, and brought out some of the crisps the Iyrmen prepared in the m. Citool and Rokan watched over the children, assisting them with their sheets and dice rolling, and making sure the children didhe dice.

  “Ack! Inakan! How they do this to your friend? What will you do?” Adam asked.

  “I fight!” Inakan said, pig up her six sided die, throwing it into the tray. “My bonus is three fht!”

  “What did you roll?” Adam asked, gng down at the die.

  “Oh! I have six! Look!” Inakan poio her die. “Six! And three. Six and three. Seve. Nine?”

  “Nine!” Adam gasped. “They ’t roll higher than that, but I’ll roll too. Three and two is five. Five against nine? Jirot, which is bigger?”

  “I am bigger,” the girl said.

  “Whiumber is bigger, five or nine?”

  “Nine is bigger, daddy,” Jirot stated, raising her brow.

  “The difference is so much. Inakan, you easily beat them up, pop pop pop, but as you’re beating them up, Gurot, Murot, the red banded vilins are running away. Will you chase them?”

  “I will chase them!” Gurot decred, tossing his die, Murot also tossing his die forward, since his brother had already tossed his dice.

  “I am fast!” Minool stated.

  “Minool, you do not have to roll your die, because you are so fast already, but you roll yht to stop ohout even rolling to chase.”

  As the Rots and Ools dealt with chasing the vilins, the Gaks tio hold the line behind the group. The Kans fought the boss together, in a mess of a fight that ended up with the children’s victory, even though the leader mao flee.

  “Everyone increase their Money by one point, and there are some magical ons that-,”

  “Adam,” Jurot’s voice cut through the air. “e.”

  “I’ll let grandaunt give out the magical ons,” Adam said, causing the old woman to blink, the children all looking towards her, except for the five who stood up to follow their father.

  “I e too!” Jirot said.

  “Daddy…” Konarot stared up at her father.

  “Jurot, will you stop them?” Adam asked, raising his brows to bully his brother.

  “No one stop them,” Jurot said, holding out a hand to be the children.

  Pam y within the bed of bs, the exhaustion on her faly kept at bay by the adoration for her rather chubby baby, whose eyes remained glued shut, the girl’s lips opeo reveal her pink gums.

  “Kek! Kek!” the girl coughed, causing Adam to swoon, wanting to spoil the girl already.

  Jurot’s eyes fell to the girl, and though he stood tall and strong, he had insisted on being the oo call Adam due to the heaviness within his heart.

  “Don’t get too close,” Adam said, pg a hand on Jirot and Konarot, stopping the rest of them by stopping the leaders. “Look. It’s your cousin.”

  Jirot’s eyes remained focused on the baby, who was so small, even smaller than her. ‘So small! The baby is so small!’

  Konarot’s tail sway lightly behihe girl staring at the baby too, taking in her sight, and the weird sts upon the air. She gnced up towards Pam and Jurot, who the baby smelled so simirly to.

  “Adam,” Pam called, weakly, smiling towards the half elf. “I would like to name her Monarot.”

  “I would like to he girl Pamarot,” Jurot added.

  “Will you choose?” Pam asked.

  Adam’s heart beat a little quicker within his chest. “Well, I mean…” The tingles rushed through the half elf, who looked towards Vonda, the young woman smiling tiredly towards the half elf, her belly still full. “Normally I’d agree with Jurot, but he’s not the one who spent so long giving birth. Monarot is a good name, and the daughter you have, she be called Pamarot.”

  “Okay,” Jurot said, his eyes falling upon the half elf, who no doubt wao hold the newbirl.

  “Jurot, you punk, how could your daughter be so adorable?” Adam asked.

  Jurot was unsure of how to respond, his heart still ag, the heaviness pressing through his entire body.

  “Gosh, papo, how you do this?” Jirot asked. “My kaza is so gorjus, is all your fault.”

  “It’s kako’s fault too, isn’t it?”

  Jirot blinked, looking towards her aunt, whose exhausted eyes slowly fell shut. “How you say that, daddy? Kako make such lovely bread, how it be her fault?”

  “Ah,” Adam said, his voice hitg within his throat, the half elf’s eyes filling with tears, doing his best not to burst out in ughter. “Of course.”

  As the Rot family weled another child into their life, still waiting oher, a figure made their way to the shared family estates.

  It was not rare of him to sit within the shared family estate, since he had joined one of the four families. He sat opposite an Iyrman half his age by the name of Wahruv, whose greatsword remained leaned against the wall beside them. The pair go the side, towards the do who stepped into the shared estate.

  ‘He is here?’ Gorot thought.

  Duepped towards pair, pausing a moment, his eyes falling down to the dark skinned Iyrmen who sat nearby, each staring up at the Priest.

  “…” The dark skinned figure waited for the Priest to speak up.

  “We o talk,” Dunes said, staring down at the older Aswadian.

  “Okay,” Ashmir replied, the pair of Aswadians following Gorot to the s outside of the estate.

  “Gorot,” a voice called, and the trio turo find an Iyrman who wore a familiar set of tattoos. The Iyrman g those he had grown up alongside, and then back to Gorot, who he had known for about as long. “Her name is Monarot.”

  The excitement rushed through the estate, while the Asriest go the floor. He ched his fist, feeling the guilt rush through him. He tried to meditate as they stepped out towards the s.

  Ohe short versation was over, Ashmir returned back to the shared estate, and Dunes made his way back to the main gate of the Iyr.

  “Adam’s child will be born soon,” Gorot said.

  “I should return back to the business,” Dunes replied.

  “Okay,” Gorot replied, esc the Priest back, after his very short versation with the man who had been adopted into the Mir family.

  “Do you not wish to remain?” Dunes asked.

  “We each have our duties we must plete,” Gorot said, thinking over Dunes’ versation with the man. The Priest’s words had been brutal, hammering at the old man with a viciousness Gorot didn’t expect. It was not because Dunes had bmed the old man for anything, but because he came to the old man without any pride. “I am sure you uand.”

  Duopped. The guilt of taking Gorot away from the births of the children overwhelmed him for a moment. However, it was but a drop when it came to the guilt of his greatest failure, and so he tinued walking.

  More children to spoil?

  Why is there no fatherhood simut?