Omen: 11, 15

Jirot and Jarot crawled around their small play area, cuddling with the various soft blankets. Jirot grabbed a block and held it up, as though she had conquered the world, before sucking against the wood. Jarot crawled past her from behind, settling himself into a blanket.

Adam sighed, causing the Iyrmen to glance his way. They quickly realised why he had sighed, for it was Adam. ‘Where the hell are you, Jurot? I want to tell you about my cute children!’

The pair of twins continued to crawl around, with Adam lifting them up whenever they came to the edge, before placing them back down within the play area. Once they were tuckered out, Sonarot picked them up, and fed them.

“The Iyr has closed its gates,” Sonarot said, rubbing Jirot’s back after her meal. She had waited until after she had fed the children, since Adam always felt so awkward.

“So… it’s no longer open?” Adam asked. “I mean, you know, people can’t go out and come back in?”

“Yes.”

“Ah…” Adam furrowed his brows. “So I can’t leave?”

“You will need to receive permission, but it is difficult to do. You will not be able to return until the end of the next Twilight Month.”

“Why has the Iyr closed its gates?” Adam asked, rubbing Jarot’s back gently, the boy resting his sleepy head against his father’s shoulder.

“The Iyr must protect itself in its most vulnerable time.” Sonarot had only recently heard why the Iyr needed to shut its gates. She had heard that the Iyr was likely going to do so, but not why. She wasn’t sure if she was glad for the knowledge.

Adam frowned. ‘So I should probably stop joking around much…’

The twins were placed into their baskets, allowing them to sleep peacefully. Lanarot led the triplets to her brother, reaching up with her arms. Adam lifted her up, feeling her squirm against him, before she finally hugged him tight.

“Papa,” the girl said, almost whimpering.

“I’m here, you smelly girl,” Adam said, holding her close. His triplets stared up at him expectantly, so he reached down to rub their heads gently, all the while relaxing in his chair.

‘Am I allowed to be so happy?’ Adam thought. He wasn’t sure if he had been so happy before in all his lifetimes. He rubbed his cheek against Lanarot’s, and brushed Konarot’s hair as she nestled her head on his thigh. Kirot and Karot waited for their turns patiently, always allowing their eldest sibling to set the pace.

‘An adorable little sister and five children. Five. Five children.’ Adam sighed, glancing at the other babies who were off to nap. He leaned back and stared up at the sky.

‘Stronger.’

Adam closed his eyes, wondering how strong he truly was. No, he was certain he understood his strength, it was just that he didn’t understand the strength of others. ‘I should study the system more…’

Vonda approached Adam, who remained trapped under four children, who had claimed each arm and leg to cuddle with. It was as though his children were plate mail.

“I see you are doing well,” Vonda said, taking the seat opposite him.

“Yeah…” Adam glanced around at the children, thinking about whether to doff them. “What about you?”

“I am well,” Vonda said, though glanced around the shared family estate. “The Iyr is different. It feels so…”

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“It feels like any other place now, doesn’t it?” Adam asked. He had spent some time thinking about why the Iyr felt so uncomfortable, and he had realised it was because it felt like every other place now.

“Yes.” Vonda smiled at the words. “The walls of my Order felt so safe, but when I arrived at the Iyr, I realised I was never safe. Now, I no longer feel safe here. I do not know if it because of the war in the south, or if there is something else.”

“It’s probably something else,” Adam said. “I’m not sure what it is, though, and at this point, I’m too afraid to ask.”

Vonda smiled again, her eyes beaming at Adam. “I, too, am afraid to ask.” She reached up to brush Konarot’s hair, who looked up at the woman with suspicious eyes for a moment, before returning back to her father’s shoulder.

“Konarot, it’s Sir Vonda,” Adam said. “She’s a Priest of Life, so get on her good side, okay?”

Vonda took in the sight of Adam trapped under the children. “They are so close to you.”

“That’s because they love me the most,” Adam said. “Isn’t that right, my little babbies?”

“Papa,” Lanarot replied, affirmatively.

Konarot wrapped her arms around her father’s neck and kissed his cheek, causing Kirot and Karot to climb up to kiss his face too, only for Lanarot to cry out and do the same.

“You! What silly little babbies you are!” Adam showered them with all his affection.

Vonda continued to take in the sight, taking in Adam’s features all the while. “Are Jirot and Jarot asleep?”

“Yeah, it’s nap time for them,” Adam said. “Do you know how troublesome they are now? They can crawl everywhere, but luckily they’re both small so they can’t scoot around too quickly.”

“They are still so young but they can already crawl.”

“Right? Why are they growing so quickly, Vonda? Why can’t they stay small and cute forever? I’ll just carry them where they need to go.”

“Should they not grow to speak with their father?”

“We speak all the time,” Adam said. “They always tell me how much they love me. Sometimes they bully me and cackle when they vomit all over me. In the morning Jarot peed all over me when I was changing him. He looked me in the eye and tried to assert his dominance.”

“Then he truly must love you,” Vonda joked.

“He’s always happy to see me…” Adam smiled as he remembered his son smiling at him that morning. “What a cheeky little boy Jarot is.”

“Does Jirot bully you?”

“She bullies me the worst of all.”

“How does she bully you?”

“I’ll show you when she’s up.”

When Jarot awoke, he crawled up to his father, and Adam swiftly lifted him up. “Do you see?”

“She did not come to you?”

“That’s right! My babby Jarot comes to me, but she doesn’t!”

Jirot crawled up to him, looking up at him, blinking twice, before giggling and crawling away.

“Do you see?”

“I see, Adam,” Vonda said, not seeing at all.

It was time for Adam to read to the children, who had gathered around near him. They did not sit as close as they had the past few days, though Adam noted they were still sitting closer than previously.

“I guess it’s Asoyah’s turn,” Adam said, accepting the book from the young boy, who sat to one side. “Sir Vonda, would you like to read for the children?”

Vonda noted the expectant gazes of the children, bowing her head. She read the tale of one of the Yah families, which was new to most of the children. Usually the stories they knew were those of their own family, and the three other families who they lived alongside, but sometimes someone would tell them a tale from another family.

The children clapped once Vonda was done reading the first story within the book, excitedly babbling away between one another. Lanarot looked back at Adam and gasped in shock, as though the ending was utterly surprising.

“What?”

Lanarot pointed out towards Vonda with her hand and babbled wildly as she tried to explain the nuances of what had occurred. Adam slowly nodded his head at her as she babbled noisily, before she sighed with an exasperated sigh.

“I completely understand.” Adam reached down to her hair and ruffled it. “It’s time for dinner.”

“Bwed?”

“You can have bread, you smelly girl,” Adam assured, causing his sister to cackle and clap her hands.

Vonda smiled, seeing how bright Adam had become. She lifted Jirot up, the girl looking up at Vonda curiously. “How can you bully your father, Jirot?”

Jirot raised her brows in shock, copying Vonda’s brows. She reached up to grab the woman’s scarf, taking it off her face, before seeing the burn marks on the Priest’s face. She giggle lightly as she reached up to grab onto the Priest’s face.

“Will you bully me too?” Vonda pulled the girl to her chest, who cackled before sucking on her hand.

When night fell, Vonda remained with the shared family estate, sleeping in the guest room of the Rot family. Adam slept in the same room as his Aunt and sister, staring up at the ceiling, his triplets scattered around him.

‘I really am happy, Bell.’

[Yes.]

‘I really appreciate how much you’ve helped.’

[You are welcome.]

‘Yeah, I am.’

Adam thought about raising his Level to 6, but he decided against it. There was no need for him to Level at the moment, and he could always use the XP for something else later.

‘Should I make another Scribe Mage?’ Adam thought about it deeply. ‘Oh wait, it’s the Twilight Month…’

Konarot rolled up against her father, sucking on her thumb. Adam smiled, reaching down to brush her hair, before he closed his eyes, and fell asleep.