“You cannot miss me so much, okay?” Jirot said, hugging her nana’s neck, their cheeks squishing together in their embrace.

“I will try not to miss you, but it is difficult,” Mirot replied, planting a kiss on Jirot’s forehead.

The girl let out a small huff, before hugging the woman’s head against her chest. “It is hard, but you must try, okay?”

“Okay.” Mirot also embraced little Jarot too, pulling the boy into her bosom, planting a firm kiss on his forehead. The boy flushed with the gentle warmth of the woman, who held the twins so tender and close to her.

Jazool hugged Larot tight, the girl rubbing along his back gently. “Happy, okay?”

“…”

Jazool hugged the boy again, while Ikool, her mother, ate the adorable scene for dessert.

‘They are not too upset,’ Kaygak thought while hugging Lanarot tight, brushing her hair gently, swiping the girl’s hair over her ear, before tickling the girl’s cheek with her thumb.

Konarot hugged Kavgak, the pair rubbing foreheads together, before letting one another go.

“Safe,” Kavgak stated.

“Safe,” Konarot replied.

“Inakan! I should at least take you with me, shouldn’t I?” Adam asked, blowing a raspberry into the girl’s neck.

“Nooo!” Inakan squealed, squirming out of his grasp, before the girl fled, hiding behind Vonda. “Kaza Adam! So silly!”

“Just a little bit, but how can they leave you here? You should come with me so you can go see daddy, right?”

“Daddy?”

“That’s right.” Adam smiled mischievously, but Mirot’s hand upon his shoulder distracted him. “I was just kidding.”

Mirot kept his gaze, noting how he surrendered under it. A long moment of silence passed between the pair before she squeezed his shoulder. “You should visit often, so that we do not miss you or the children.”

‘Hmm?’ Adam thought, staring up at the woman, who brought him in for a hug. He pat her back gently, still unsure of what she was doing, before she finally let him go to say her greetings to her other nephew.

Tavgak grabbed onto Lucy’s collar, staring up at the woman for a moment, before she threw her head away shyly.

“Cousin Lanarot, you must behave,” Turot said, embracing the girl.

“I will!” Lanarot declared.

“Cousin Lanarot, you must watch over your nieces and nephews,” Asorot said, also embracing her.

“I am the best kako.” Lanarot hugged the boy tightly. “If kaza bully you, you can tell me, and I will tell papa.”

Turot smiled slightly. “I will not bully my brother, but you must bully yours.”

Lanarot smirked slightly, before going to embrace her younger cousins, the chonky boys who allowed her to smother them in her affection, as she had learnt from her elder brothers, one in particular.

Amira waited for the goodbyes to complete, glancing aside to the dark Ashmir, who had been assigned to escort them out.

“Come home safely!” shouted the children as the gates shut, the carriage leading the group out towards the Front Iyr.

While the greetings had passed, an annoyance passed to those who hadn’t managed to say their goodbyes in the extended family estates.

“How could your grandson take them away from me?” Malfev asked, sipping his tea.

“He is his grandfather’s grandson,” Mulrot joked, though she noted the way her brother swallowed the thought along with his tea. Even now she wondered if perhaps somehow her husband had managed to lay with an elf.

“Should I ask to visit the fort?”

“You are a Family Elder, your place is here,” Mulrot stated.

“It is my right as their family to visit them too.”

“Then you may send word to the Elder.”

Malfev sighed, deciding against wasting their time with that sort of nonsense when the Iyr was moving with such a purpose. “It was only a few years ago we had shut our gates.”

“Now we are preparing for the Reavers.” Mulrot sipped her tea, allowing it to warm her heart, but it was nothing compared to the joy of her greatdaughter’s mischief.

“How is it that our youngest were born during the time of two events which should have occured once in a lifetime?” Malfev joked, and though his heart was soothed by the aura of peace around him, a tingle spread through his spine.

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“I am glad that I could see such a thing during my twilight years,” Mulrot admitted.

“You did not wish to be active in such a time?”

“How much mess would that fool have caused if he was born during this time?”

Malfev smiled, before pouring them more tea. “It is already enough that I fought alongside a Grand Commander.”

“Do you not wish to grow more powerful before your bones begin to ache?” Mulrot joked.

“My strength is already enough as the Family Elder,” Malfev said.

Mulrot smiled, glancing to the side. ‘Should I have retired so soon?’ Her eyes looked to the past, when she had almost reached the strength of a Master, and yet she retired while her brother continued to adventure.

“It is already enough that you tamed the Mad Dog,” Malfev joked upon seeing his sister’s face, causing her to smile.

The journey from the Main Iyr to the Front Iyr was uneventful, and so was the journey to the business, though that was to be expected, since it was the Iyr’s land.

The business’ gates opened as Fred and Dunes welcomed the group in, the carriage veering to one side before the President and the Executives stepped out.

“Careful now, careful,” Adam said, hoisting Jirot up before she could climb down herself, stealing a kiss against her cheek while plucking Jarot with ease, placing the pair down. He picked up his youngest son and held the boy within one arm, carefully stepping out, finally holding out a hand for his wife.

“What trouble did you get yourself into?” Amira asked, half embracing Dunes, who picked up the basket, in which their daughter lay, strapped gently within thanks to the Iyrmen.

“Not enough,” Dunes assured, before escorting his wife to the fire. He decided to ignore the presence of the Lion King, who followed the pair.

“Any news?” Adam asked once they had settled themselves, having greeted everyone, including Elsie, who had shown off the picture she drew to the half elf.

“We have two newcomers from the North,” Dunes said. “A pair of brothers, twins they say.”

“Do they look different?” Adam asked.

Dunes smiled, before the pair made their way to the village, where Fred sat, alongside the other trainees of the business, who were watching over the pair of strangers.

“Oh,” Adam said. “They do look different.”

“Executive Adam,” the man said, reaching out a gloved hand. His skin was pale, like snow, his chestnut hair tied up into a bun. He wore heavy furs over his scale armour, which was strewn over chain, and two blades at his side, one with a blade that was a half arm’s length. Around his chest he wore a an amulet stamped with half a cloud and a lightning bolt.

“That’s right,” Adam said, shaking the Aldishman’s forearm, before glancing aside to fellow’s brother.

“Mork,” the Aldishman said, before motioning his head. “This is my brother, Tork.”

“Pleasure to meet you both,” Adam said, reaching out to shake the brother’s hand. Tork also wore heavy furs, though unlike his brother, wore a breastplate over chain, and carried a heavy axe upon his back, and a blade at his side. His black hair was cut short, contrasting his grey skin, which was tinged with the slightest of green. The tusks at the corners of his lower lip had been silvered, with tiny engravings. “You two here to join our business?”

“Aye,” Tork growled back with his gruff voice. “Heard the pay’s bad, but get ta earn a magic weapon?”

“With enough hard work, that’s for sure,” Adam said, glancing between the pair, eyeing up their heavy furs. “You both Northerners?”

“Bred and raised,” Mork confirmed. “The proper North, not far south as North Amber.”

“You’re from even further north?”

“First Peak.”

Adam slowly nodded his head, pretending to know where that was. “You worship, uh, the Divine?”

“Lady Tempest,” Mork confirmed, his eyes falling to the obsidian amulet, though he glanced back up towards the half elf’s eyes. “Pa sent us to the temple when we were young, paid the coin, allowed us to learn some magic, then we made our way across the land adventuring, keeping it safe.”

“How’d you come to hear of us?”

“We came too late to join the tournament, but we watched you and your brother fight.”

“Lucky for him, otherwise you would have beaten him blue in the first rounds.”

“You were going to go against The Savage.”

“Better an Iyrman’s blade, than a fae’s-,” Tork stopped when his brother elbowed him in the side. “Mean no offence.”

Adam exchanged a look with Dunes, the pair sharing a smile. “None taken. So, how strong are you both?”

“Experts.”

“Experts?” Adam asked, whistling. “Damn. So you have access to Third Gate spells?”

“Aye.”

“You able to use them freely?”

“Some spells cost some coin, but I’m not spell shy.”

“Well, you know how Priests can get.”

Mork slowly nodded his head, letting out a pained sigh which held its own stories. “Aye.”

“We’ll see how well you fit into the business and its culture. Manager Dunes will explain the rules to you, and I should warn you, breaking the rules comes with consequences. Don’t think Lady Tempest will save you from an ass whooping, or worse, if you act up.”

“No Northerner is stupid enough to act up on Iyrman’s land,” Tork stated.

“Alright,” Adam said, before escorting them across the bridge to the business. “Do you both know how to read and write?”

“Aye,” Mork replied.

“A little,” Tork replied, though not as confidently.

“Brother Mork, are you willing to teach?”

“No need for the Brother, Executive. I’m willing to teach. It’s why I came here, since I need to retire.”

“Perfect,” Adam replied, noting how young he was to be retiring. ‘Oh. Right.’

“Don’t mind a good fight, though,” Mork assured.

Adam chuckled, while leading them into the business, where he introduced the pair to the workers. “This is Mork, who may end up as a new teacher, and this is Tork. Just like Jane, they’re under probation, and after a short while, we’ll figure out their places in the business. Mork, Tork, come on, I’ll show you your rooms.”

“Executive?” Mork called out, confusion within his voice.

“Yes?”

“There’s a pair of goblins following us?”

Adam glanced back to see Jirot and Jarot following them, with Jurot and Nirot escorting the pair. “What are you two doing?”

Jirot blinked, surprised she had been caught. She looked up towards Jurot, furrowing her brows slightly, before looking back to her father. “Toilet.”

“I thought you could go by yourself?”

“I can! I can go by myself!” The girl huffed, before storming off to the toilet, her brother following after her.

“…”

“Isn’t my daughter so adorable?” Adam asked, smiling politely, the kind of politeness the Southerners often showed.

“Aye, she is.” Tork glanced aside to his brother, elbowing him int he side. “Cheer up. Little bit o’ green skin didn’t hurt nobody.”

“Aye,” Mork said, his voice neutral.

“I shouldn’t have to warn you, but in case you get any ideas, their great grandfather is the Mad Dog.”

The brothers blinked. ‘What?’

Adam returned back to the campfire, dropping down beside his uncle, who cut fruit for the children. “Any trouble, Director?”

“No,” Shikan replied.

Adam reached down into his tunic, pulling out a small yellow ribbon. “With the President here, you’re able to return.”

Shikan plucked the ribbon from his nephew’s fingers, feeling its softness within his hand for a moment, before he slipped it into his tunic. “Did you read to her?”

“A few times.”

Shikan bowed his head, and returned back to cutting his fruit. He switched his words to the Iyr’s tongue. “Did the Great Elders send you?”

“Yeah.”

Shikan had been glad the business had been peaceful. He threw a glance to the Lion King, then to Kamrot, who had been assigned to the business indefinitely, the same as a few teen Iyrmen, and of course, the Silver Fate Squad. ‘Should I truly return?’