Adam stood before the older trio awkwardly, still holding onto the tiny Inakan. Her head rested against his shoulder, her fist clutching his outer shirt tight while she sucked her thumb as she tried to snooze. Adam’s eyes glanced to the side where he saw Citool and a few of the extended Ool family, one of whom he recognised, but his eyes returned back to the old man.
When Adam had first met Jarot, the older Iyrman had been watering plants in the background. Like every Iyrman, he wore a weapon at his side, and since he was a member of the Rot family, it was an axe. After the old man had cursed out his daughter, Aunt Sonarot, the pair had come to blows.
Adam had been armed with a magical weapon at the time, one which had enchanted for Dunes, a blade of wonderful enchantments. It could choose to critically hit three times each day, and had the ability to heal whenever the wielder critically hit. Jarot, with his one arm and his mundane axe, had taken many great blows from Adam. If he was a normal man, he would have fallen, and even if he was an Iyrman he would have fallen too.
Adam had managed to deal one hundred and fifty damage to the old man. It was more than enough to even deal with Grandmasters, though with Jarot’s toughness, and the rage of the Rot family, it had been merely a flesh wound. That man, who had lost so much in his life, and had given up his arm to retire, had still been the picture of strength. Yet, now…
“What are you doing, standing so far away?” Jarot asked, a heavy smirk appearing on his face. It was as though the smirk was trying to fight him, and Adam could see the strain on the old man’s face.
Adam stepped towards them cautiously, the children following him, staring up at the trio, before noting their aunt to the side, who was currently looking after the shared estate, and had stayed behind for their arrival.
“Inakan, look,” Adam said, clearing his throat as he tried to find his strength to speak. “It’s your nana.”
Inakan looked up towards Adam, hearing his voice and she squinted up at him. Otkan held out an arm to accept the girl onto her lap, and Adam awkwardly placed the girl onto her lap. Otkan was still fairly powerful, with Adam only having defeated her when he had used everything in his power, and while she held back a great degree. For her to lose her arm, it was almost unthinkable for Adam, who viewed almost all the older Iyrmen as killing machines.
“Gurot, my chonky boy, come here,” Adam said, lifting the boy up, planting a kiss on his cheek. “Look, it’s your baba. Your mama’s dada.”
Gurot peered towards Jarot, who was still smiling towards him sadly, before he noted the tattoos. He smiled towards the older man, and then hid his face into Adam’s chest.
“Hoo!” Adam feigned a groan as he pretended to struggle holding the boy. “I think you’re too heavy for me today, but your babo, he’s so strong, he can hold you.” Adam placed the boy onto Jarot’s leg, his right leg, the lower half of which had been taken.
“You are definitely Mirot’s son,” Jarot said, reaching up to brush the boy’s cheek. “You are as big as her when she was just a little girl.”
Gurot giggled and hid his face inside of the old man’s chest, allowing him to brush the boy’s hair. Jarot held the back of the boy’s head, embracing him lightly, pressing his cheek against the top of the boy’s head.
Gurot was so heavy, so warm. He held the smell of a baby, that of milk and various lotions the Iyrmen used to keep the baby’s skin healthy. It was a smell he hadn’t smelled in so long, not since he had left almost a year ago, which was more than a lifetime ago for these children, and for Jarot too.
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“Kavgak, Tavgak, come,” Gangak said, reaching out her hands. The girls, one of whom was slightly larger than even Gurot, twitched slightly, before looking up towards their Cousin for support.
“What are you doing? You should be going to your nana at once, you silly girls!” Adam motioned for them to go to their grandmother.
“You have all grown up so much,” Gangak said, lifting the girls up, who squirmed under their grandmother’s affection, but they couldn’t escape from her kisses. The old woman gently rocked them in her arms. “All you could do was cry, but now you can even dare to deny your grandmother?”
“That’s what I’m saying! They’re growing up way too much!” Adam complained, trying to lighten the air. “Except Gurot, he can be chonkier, but everyone else is growing up too quickly. I guess Inakan isn’t growing up too quickly, so good job Inakan.”
“She should grow big and strong,” Otkan said.
“Will you let her bully me like this, old man?” Adam asked.
“Old man?” Jarot rubbed Gurot’s stomach gently. “Who is this old man? If you cannot call me grandfather, do not ask for my help!”
“Whose my grandfather?” Adam replied, still feeling awkward about fighting with the older Iyrman. He let out a sigh. “Just you wait until Jababy is here, I’m going to bully you so much.”
“Are they growing well?”
“She and Jarot are growing up too quickly. Just the other day, Jirot threw up all over me and, laughed at me. She knows I can’t discipline her, she’s too cute, so she bullies me all the time. Jarot is so good though, he only laughs at me sometimes, but he’s so shy and sweet…” Adam did his best not to gush too much about his children.
“Hmm,” Jarot replied, still gently rubbing his grandson’s stomach. “Did you adventure this year, or did you spent all your time enchanting?”
“I…” Adam smiled. “I did quite a bit this year, you know?”
“Yes?”
“You’re never going to believe what we accomplished this year.”
Jarot, being a trained Iyrman, didn’t let up that he knew what Adam had accomplished that year. “I have believed many things I should not believe when it comes to you.”
“I’ll let Jurot tell the tale, since he’s the one that can tell it the best,” Adam said.
“No, I want to hear it from you,” Jarot said. “Sit, and tell us the tale, and when they return, we will speak our tale.”
“I don’t know, Jurot can say it so much better than me…”
“You see how my grandson bullies me? I give up my leg for him, and he will not tell me the tale!” Jarot leaned down to kiss Gurot’s forehead, hugging him tighter. “Will you be so defiant when you are older? You should! You should take after me, my Gurot!” A softer smile slipped through the darkness, but the old man stifled a deeper laugh.
Shame filled Adam through Jarot’s words. No doubt the old man was joking, but it hurt that there was some truth to it. Adam had wanted to let Jurot tell the tale, since he would be most excited, but if the old man wanted to hear it from him…
“Alright, I can at least tell you the first half, since it’s the most boring bit,” Adam said. “I’ll go get some food and you can situate the children. They napped already, so they’re full of energy, but I’m sure you can handle it since you’re all so strong.” Though the joke left his lips, it hadn’t lifted his spirits one bit.
Adam found some food and drink, mostly bread, pizza, and meat, and brought the food back to the group. Kavgak was already laughing at Gangak as the older Iyrman nuzzled against her nose and asked her all kinds of questions in their tongue. Tavgak also laughed, seeing as that her cousin was laughing.
Gurot was happily eating cut pieces of fruit from Jarot’s hands, the old man staring down at the chubby boy, thinking of another time. Inakan was almost completely ignoring her grandmother, who was doting on the Ool and Kan children, while the tiny girl pressed her cheek against a block to feel it against her skin.
Adam placed down the basket, and sat opposite the trio of older Iyrmen. His eyes remained focused on relative eye level, trying not to peek at their lost leg and lost arm. The curiosity was eating him up from the inside, but he decided against asking. They would tell their tale, and he’d hear it along with everyone else.
“Alright, I’ll begin the tale then?” Adam said, before he picked up Inakan, leaning in to speak to her ear. “Story time, Inakan.”
Inakan looked up towards Adam, blinking rapidly before she squinted up at him, before a wide smile appeared on her face.
“That’s right, so you have to be a good girl and listen.” Adam rubbed her head gently, before he began the tale.