Omen: 6, 9

“Do you want to explore the festival with daddy?” Adam asked, picking up his eldest daughter. She smiled shyly and rested her head against his chest as she embraced him. “Okay, okay.” He kissed her face all over, and showered the rest of the triplets in his affection.

Jurot held Lanarot in his arms, though she motioned for Adam to pick her up, jealous that the other three received his attention. Adam showered her in affection before letting her down, allowing her to lead the way as they explored the festival together, the triplets, their father, uncle, and their tiny aunt.

As they came across the fights, Adam reached down to pick Konarot up, but she followed Lanarot to go watch them, with her siblings following right behind her.

‘Hmm?’ Adam thought, standing near his children as they watched the fights, hearing the wailing and screaming of their aunt’s thirst for blood. ‘What have we done to her?’

They found some food, mostly bread, and made their way to a shared family estate where they could eat and drink in peace. Adam allowed his children to bite from his bread first, before taking a bite himself.

Lanarot bit into a piece of bread, before biting into a pepper. She quickly spat out the food, shocked as she stared at it. She had never been betrayed by round bread before, having not realised it could be filled with other foods other than cheese, especially not peppers. She looked to her brothers, before she started to shake, crying loudly.

“What a silly girl,” Adam said, picking her up, giving her some water to drink, and lined up her lips with fresh snow. She quickly stopped crying, as Adam handed her some bread he hard torn apart for her. She pulled away from it for a moment, but she took it, looking at the piece all over, before biting into it.

“She will learn to love peppers soon,” Jurot said. “We Rot must, since we live with the Gaks.”

“Did you hate spicy food too as a kid?” Adam asked.

“I did not like it,” Jurot confirmed. “Jaygak always found a way to make me eat them.”

“Was she a prankster when she was a kid too?”

“Yes.”

“So that means there’s no chance for Lanarot to lose her blood thirst,” Adam muttered.

“She will learn our ways well,” Jurot confirmed.

“Lanarot,” Adam called, causing his sister to look up at him, before he hugged her close. “You cannot grow up! You have to be small and cute forever.”

Lanarot smiled and giggled quietly, before offering him some of her bread.

“You can’t bribe me with just bread alone, Lanababy,” Adam said, taking the bread, and feeding her with it. “You have to stay small and cute forever. You too, my little babbies, you have to be tiny and cute forever.” Konarot opened her mouth for the bread, and Adam fed her, feeding the rest of his children too.

“They will grow up well,” Jurot said.

Adam narrowed his eyes at his brother, though the Iyrman did not relent. “Hmph.”

“They were named after great warriors,” Jarot said, simply.

“Yeah? I don’t think I’ve heard the stories of those lot before.”

“Konarot slew Windusvir, the Land Wyrm, and allowed Aswadasad freer access to its deserts. Kirot fought alongside Baron Merryweather against the Ghost Skulls who once came to ravage the land after a Great Twilight. Karot fell to a Champion of War.”

“Why did the Champion of War kill him?” Adam asked. As far as he knew, the Iyr and Wahtu, Lady Arya, were quite close.

“He earned the right to duel the Champion, and he died during the bout,” Jurot said, nodding his head with pride.

“You’re not allowed to die, Karot, you hear me?” Adam said, reaching down to ruffle his hair. The boy rubbed his head against his father’s hand, before Kirot purred for her father’s attention. “Right, I need to teach you how to speak…”

“They will learn as they grow,” Jurot said. “They have the blood of Dragons, so they will learn quickly.” Jurot was certain they could speak now, but there was some reason they didn’t. Whatever the reason was, it was their choice to make.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

Adam fixed Lanarot’s hat on her head, falling into thought. “Jurot?”

“Yes?”

“Thanks, for everything.”

Jurot bowed his head. “There is no need for thanks between us, Adam.”

Adam looked down to his children, ruffling their hair once more. “You three have to be nice to uncle Jurot, okay? If I hear you are bullying him, I’ll be disappointed.” The triplets purred quietly, before biting into Adam’s bread once more.

Omen: 1, 9

Adam continued to enjoy the festival with his family, doing his best to rid himself of the thoughts he had held recently. He poured some wine for Filliam, who had decided to join Adam that day, reminding the Half Elf of his existence.

Filliam stared down at the triplets and the Goblins, but said nothing about them. Instead, he listened to Adam gush about his children, allowing the Half Elf that much pleasure.

‘Dragons and Goblins?’ Filliam thought, wondering how that had managed to happen. He had remained within his cabin, fixing up the watches, making many more, all on the Iyr’s coin. He had only recently emerged, and had wanted to show Adam the mechanical watch he had managed to make. Yet, somehow, Adam had something even greater.

“Adam,” Elder Zijin called, motioning with his head for the Half Elf to follow him. The triplets sniffed the air, looking at the Elder curiously. The Elder smiled towards the triplets, rubbing heir heads gently. They continued to sniff at him and purred, but he shook his head.

When they arrived at his estate, the Queen, who was in her Elven form, waved her hand towards the Half Elf. “Adam.”

“If it isn’t the…” Adam decided against making the joke, realising it would only annoy her. “Entalia, it’s good to see you.”

“I have brought the hoards,” she said, placing down five rings. “Ten thousand gold, in coins and gems.”

“Gold coins, I hope?” Adam joked, noting the number of rings.

“There are some of the more beautiful kind, but most are gold.” Entalia smiled at her joke.

“Yeah…” Adam stared at the rings awkwardly. “Thanks.”

“I expect that you will place enchanted weapons into their hoards as they grow older,” she said. “They will enjoy the gift from their father.”

“Yeah…” Adam remained standing there, awkwardly. Entalia had come all this way to give thousands of gold to children which were hers, and yet she did not give birth to them. They were half her blood, but not hers, and yet she still took responsibility for them. She may have refused them, for political reasons, but she gave them, and the Goblins, a hefty sum.

It was something which had been sprung on the both of them, and yet they both had reacted as best as they could.

“Thanks for everything, Entalia…”

“I haven’t known you long, Adam, but I know that you will treat them well,” she said, bowing her head.

“Yeah,” Adam said, clearing his throat.

She looked to Elder Zijin, and then turned. “The Iyr reeks, so I’ll leave now. Enjoy the festival.”

“Entalia,” Adam called, pausing. He pulled his lips taut, realising he couldn’t ask her for that. “Have a nice nightval, and I hope to speak to you soon.”

She nodded, and left, an escort of Iyrmen assisting her out.

Adam stared at the rings, before reaching down to take them into her hands. The rings themselves were worth a fair sum of change too. He wondered what was in the rings. ‘Should I give it to them now, or…’

Sonarot led Adam to the Rot family treasury, where Adam checked what was within the rings. Three rings were identical, and the last two rings held more coin of different colours, and the gems were also different coloured. There were also furs, fine weapons and armours too.

Adam counted the coins and the gems, with Sonarot assisting him with their general worth. “About ten thousand gold in coins and gems,” he said, looking to the furs and weapons.

“The furs, armours, and weapons total to four or five thousand,” Sonarot said.

“She just had to show me up,” Adam said, his lips forming a small smile. It was one thing for Entalia to bring rings for the triplets, but another for her to bring the same for his twins.

Sonarot wanted to mention how they were Nieces and Nephews of the Rot family, but she smiled, placing a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly.

Entalia had followed the Iyrmen out towards the Front Iyr, moving as swiftly as they would allow her. She had wanted to avoid the Front Iyr, due to the presence of those four, but since the Iyr was in such a state, she decided against causing trouble.

Her journey to the Iyr had been delayed for some time, with many stating she should not cause trouble to the Iyr when they were behaving awkwardly. However, she had forced her way to the Iyr, wanting to cut the connection she had between herself and the children. The secret would only last for a short while, but she had done all she could to deal with it cleanly.

She stepped past the centre, passing the Dragon who had long been thought dead, a Dragon from an era forgotten by most.

“Leaving already?” Strom asked, tossing her a gourd full of wine.

She stepped aside, allowing one of her escorts to catch it. “The Iyr reeks of dead men. It’s not pleasant.”

“Did you at least say your goodbyes to them?”

“There is no need, since they have nothing to do with me,” Entalia said, simply.

The other two Dragons, who had smelled the connection between Adam and her, and had formed the connection between the Half Dragons and the pair, smirked slightly.

“That’s right,” Strom said. “Those five have nothing to do with you, and they’re part of the Iyr now, so you can’t threaten them any longer.”

The words were from a dying old man, and though they were not meant for Entalia, they were for the others who may have dared to forget their place while they were in the Iyr.

“The Iyr was smart enough to adopt them as their own,” Entalia said, continuing the play.

Strom smirked wide, bowing his head, allowing the young Queen to leave. The pair were the only two to know about Adam’s child, though Elder Story probably knew it too. However, there was also something she didn’t know, something which only he, the Chief, Elder Forest, Elder Gold, and Elder Story knew.

‘I’m going to miss all the fun,’ the dying old man thought.