“I will sleep here tonight,” Jarot said, having finished the tale. He nodded to Gangak and Otkan, who had decided to head back to the extended family estate. Jarot stood, holding the wince at bay as he balanced himself on his wooden leg, before he slowly shambled his way to a spare room to sleep in.

Adam watched him as he stepped away, noting how slow the old man had become after losing his leg. Usually he was as swift as Jurot, even in his older age, but now he was about as slow as the children. ‘Damn.’

“Adam,” Jurot called, also ready to turn in for the night.

“I think I’m going to take a walk first,” Adam said, who could not bare to look at Jurot, staring at the building for a while.

“Okay.”

Once Adam was left alone, he started walking through the Iyr, which glistened under the stars, the rain still gently falling from the dark sky, though it was barely a drizzle. He walked through the Iyr, not noting the eyes glued to him from the shadows, but he had no need to look out for them this day. Adam finally stopped, staring at the walls around him, and then the cabins to one side, the same cabins which held the youngest children.

‘How is it that all of a sudden Asa decided to attack, and the Blood Knight, or the Blood Demon, whatever his name was, claimed his leg? Did I spend an Omen then? No, didn’t I spend the Omen the day after, so…’ Adam clenched his fists tight behind his back, glaring down at the floor before him.

‘Blood Knight, Blood Demon, whatever they call you, you bastard! You better watch out!’

The rain continued to fall within the Iyr, and atop a roof top, a beautiful woman sipped at the wine the Iyr had given to her. She had been enjoying the festival by her lonesome, relaxing as she heard the distant music, the clashing of blades, and the noisy chatter of people during the day, and the quiet, near ominous silence of the night.

‘Is this what you did last year?’ Umbra thought, thinking of her father. ‘What were you thinking when you drank away your sadness?’ She placed the bottle to one side and lay down against the roof, staring at the sky for a long while, seeing the stars of this land, so different than the stars of her previous world. She closed her eyes, and the gentle pitter patter of rain lulled her to sleep.

Omen: 5, 20

Little Jarot stared up at the older one armed Jarot confused, but happily accepted the food from the spoon his babo was feeding him with.

“Have they not been feeding you?” Jarot asked, bringing another spoonful of porridge up to the boy’s lips. “You are too thin, my greatson.”

“What are you talking about, Jababy is…” Adam looked to his young, who was shout and round, still a little chubby. “No, you’re right, he needs to be eating more. He should be a chonky boy like little Gurot.”

“Jirot, come, I will feed you too,” Jarot offered, the girl looking up at him shyly from beside her twin brother, before she leaned towards her father, smiling awkwardly.

“Why are you running away from your babo?” Adam asked, ruffling her hair. “Let him feed you, it’s the least you can do after all he’s done for you, you little punk.” Adam couldn’t help but rub her head, smiling slightly as she continued to fall back to him.

“Then I will feed my little Jarot,” Jarot said, picking up the sliced fruit, feeing his greatson from his fingers. “Eat as much as you like, my greatson, no one can stop you while I am here!”

Little Jarot smiled up at the old man, before finally retreating away from him, hiding beside his father.

The older Iyrman smiled, glad to see how active the pair had become. “When I left, you were both so small. It was I who would hold you so you could sit, but now you can run from me? They are already so strong, but it is only right, since they are my greatchildren.” The old man surged with pride, his eyes almost sparkling as he stared down at them.

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“What of your grandson?” Mirot asked, rubbing Gurot’s hair gently. “Will you not feed him?”

“If I feed him, he will burst,” Jarot replied to his daughter, almost growling at her. “Gurot, come, I will feed you. Let no one say I will not fatten my grandchildren or my greatchildren.”

“Baba,” Gurot said, before looking up at his mother, and hiding into her bosom.

Jarot smiled warmly, and returned to eating himself, having neglected his own food for the sake of the children. “I will remain here with the youngest children, they should not forget who I am as they grow.”

“You do not wish to explore the festival?” Mirot asked.

“With this leg of mine?” Jarot asked, rubbing his knee. “No. I will not.”

“…” Mirot wasn’t sure what to say to her old man, who was as stubborn as an auroch.

“I’ll stay too,” Adam said, trying not to frown. “I can’t let him steal away the youngest from me, not when I only just managed to claim my twins back from him.”

“I will not steal them,” Jarot stated. “I will share them with you, but not Murot, for he is mine.”

“He’s my Cousin too.”

“Then I will have Maygak, since she is Gangak’s grandniece, she is mine too,” Jarot said.

“Hold on, you can’t take Maygak from me,” Adam replied. “Are you trying to claim all the chonky children for yourself?”

“She will grow big and strong,” Jarot confirmed. “I can see it.”

“No, no, Maygak’s mine too.”

“Then I will take Inakan.”

“No,” Adam said, far more seriously. “You can’t have Inakan. She needs to be protected from your corruption.”

“Then who will you give up?”

Adam thought about all the children, remaining silent as he wondered who he would allow the old man to steal from him. “No one.”

“Do you think you are so strong?”

“Even if you are an Iyrman, there are limits to what I will allow you to take from me,” Adam stated.

“Even if I am your grandfather?” Jarot asked, smirking slightly.

‘I’ll let it slide this time, old man, but don’t expect me to give up easily when I’m used to you having one leg.’ Adam glanced to the side. “Jirot, Jarot, come, give daddy a kiss.”

Jarot tried to force his body into a hot rage as a joke, but he was unable to call for it. Sonarot stared at the old man, letting slip her shock only for a moment, but it passed as quickly as it had come. The old man just smiled.

Once the children were finished with their light meal, they were cleaned up and dressed. Jarot couldn’t help but dote on each of the children, kissing their foreheads, before allowing them to go.

“You have to hug your babo before you go,” Adam stated.

“No,” Jirot replied.

“I don’t want to hear that,” Adam said, lifting the girl up. “That’s your babo, and you need to be nice. You know your nano?”

“Nano?” Jirot asked, looking around to try and find her.

“Yes, nano, this is babo, and he and nano are married,” Adam said. “It’s like…” Adam wasn’t sure how to describe it to the girl. Her grandmother had no one, since Surot was missing, and he didn’t have anyone either. “You know nano Mirot? Baba Gorot? It’s like that.”

Jirot stared up at him and blinked, tilting her head.

“Babo is nano’s daddy,” Adam said, though the girl remained staring up at him with confusion. “Jirot.” Adam said, pointing to her. “Jirot daddy.” Adam pointed to himself. “Nana. Nana’s daddy.” Adam pointed from Sonarot to the older Iyrman.

Jirot stared up at the older Iyrmen, confused. “Nana?” the girl asked, pointing to her grandmother.

“Yes.”

Jirot pointed to the older Jarot. “Nana daddy?”

“Yes.”

Jirot stared up at Adam in shock, before staring at both her grandmother and her greatfather. The fact that other children had daddy’s didn’t surprise her, she knew of Inakan and her father, and so on, but the fact that even her nana had a father, shook the girl to her core.

“No!” the girl said, as though it couldn’t possibly be true. “No!” She shook her head with passion, her eyes staring up at Adam in utter bewilderment. She babbled noisily towards her father, as though trying to present evidence it couldn’t be true, but eventually she hugged her father and then glanced back towards her greatfather.

Little Jarot blinked, glancing between his grandmother and greatfather. “Nana?” Jarot asked, pointing to his grandmother.

“Yes.”

“Babo?” Little Jarot pointed to old Jarot.

“Yes.”

“Oo,” the boy said, as though he understood.

Finally, the children made their way out, with the triplets looking back to their father. Konarot stopped, and Sonarot called for her. Konarot looked back towards her grandmother, before pointing to her father. “Daddy?”

“He’s staying with your babo,” Sonarot said.

“…” Konarot looked back to the pair. “Staying?”

“Yes.”

“Okay,” the girl said, before walking back to her father. Kirot and Karot followed after her.

Sonarot waited, watching as Adam embraced them, wondering what they were doing.

“Staying,” Konarot said, hugging her father, before reaching out her arms to her greatfather to let him hug her too. She understood her father wanted them to be close with the old man, so she did as he wanted.

“Look at how you have grown, Konarot,” Jarot said, holding the girl on his lap. “Was it you who taught my Jirot to be so defiant?”

Konarot shook her head, while the older Iyrman brushed her hair. They embraced lightly together while Adam held Kirot and Karot.

“I still remember how you growled at me, Konarot,” Jarot said. “You are such a good elder sister.”

Konarot flushed slightly and squirmed, before resting her head on his chest. Jarot held the girl close to him, smiling slightly. Whatever darkness which had overcome him was kept at bay by the girl.