“I will never forget this betrayal,” Adam whispered. Though the Iyr has treated him kindly, how could they do such a thing to him? Certainly it was the worst betrayal Adam could possibly imagine.
The late afternoon sun, not quite as overbearing as the noonval sun while in duskval, beamed down against the shared estate.
‘He must have many tales to share,’ Arokan thought as the group returned, her eyes glancing towards Shikan, who gave nothing away.
Adam stared at the children before him, his eyes darting from side to side. “No! This… you can’t do this to me! How are you all walking so well?”
Murot darted, as a baby who was yet to turn one could, towards his mother. His face lit up with delight as his mother returned, reaching out his arms towards the woman. “Mama!”
“Ah!” Adam let out a small cry, his entire body shuddering lightly. “Of course, it’s your little brother who defeats me like this, Gurot.”
Gurot ignored Adam as he darted forward, as a toddler who was yet to turn two could, towards his father. “Daddy!”
Gorot picked up his son, the boy shyly smiling towards his father, before the pair embraced together.
The rest of the children did the same, save for Inakan and Minakan, until Inakan was picked up by Arokan, much to Mokan’s groaning. His groaning quietened once his father picked him up, and the boy squirmed within his father’s arms, until he sucked his thumb.
“You will not call for me?” Shikan asked.
Mokan glanced upwards, smiling shyly, like a flower refusing to bloom, before he turned. Shikan could feel his son beginning to shake as the boy began to giggle wildly.
“Jurot… how can this be?”
“They have grown well.”
“Jurot, why are you starting a fight with me like this?” Adam’s eyes began to tear up. “They couldn’t even crawl when we left but they’re walking and talking when we return?”
Jurot’s eyes fell to Murot, who was, as Adam would put it, a chonky boy, like his brother. He was certainly so small and tiny previously, but now he was walking around calling for his mother and father. ‘Of course he is growing well, he is my cousin.’
“The day you left, Maygak crawled for the first time,” Jogak said, having waited for this moment for all these months.
Adam’s eyes darted towards Jogak, who kept a straight face, picking up Maygak within his arms, the tiny girl so big for her age, her hand gripping onto her father’s collar, threatening to tear it as it creased, giving into her grip.
“You’re…” Adam fell silent for a moment, not allowing his stupidity to overwhelm me. ‘Maygak, how could you betray me like this?’ “Of course it just had to be your sister who bullies me like this.”
Jaygak’s lips formed a wide smirk towards the half elf, who glanced down and crossed his arms behind his back, bracing himself for further heartache.
“I’m…” Adam began, sniffling slightly. “I’m only going to forgive you just this once, because you’re so cute.”
“Dahdah,” Maygak called, her voice clear and strong, her eyes beaming up towards her father.
“Did you miss me?”
Maygak smiled, flashing the nubs of her teeth towards her father. Jogak smiled, leaning down to kiss her forehead, causing the girl to cackle with laughter.
“Jurot! Look! They’ve got teeth now!” Adam’s tears welled up further, dripping down the corners of his eyes. “How can our cousins be so cute?”
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Mirot said nothing as she passed her son to her daughter, who lifted the boy up, the boy staring up at her in shock for a moment. “Mama?”
“Kaka,” Nirot corrected, her eyes gazing into the boy’s intently. The boy had dark eyes like her, and his hair was still thin and spindly, though it held more volume. His body had grown so much since they had last left, and his eyes seemed to stare at her face with more curiosity, and recognition. As the boy turned to his brother, he smiled, revealing tiny chips of white against his red gums, the boy’s arms, now fuller, reached out towards his chonky elder brother.
‘Adam may be a fool, but he is truly wise.’
Maygak squirmed within Jaygak’s arms, glancing up towards her elder sister, noting her tattoos. She had almost made to cry, but she relented towards the familiar face. She grabbed her sister’s collar, gripping it tight, tugging against it.
“You really have grown, Maygak.”
Maygak heard her name and met her sister’s eyes. She smiled shyly, before tugging against her sister’s collar, a smile across her face. Jaygak leaned in to nuzzle against her nose, causing the girl to pull back for a moment, before she smiled once more. Maygak cackled with joy.
“Maygak is growing well,” Raygak said, returning from his mother. “She is always walking so well.”
“She will grow well since you are watching over her,” Jaygak said.
Raygak flushed, puffing out his chest. “Yes.” The boy’s lips formed the widest smile, though he tried to keep it at bay.
Adam waited until the others had greeted their youngest siblings before he smothered them with his affection. He started with Murot first, since he was his closest cousin, and the Iyrmen would be unable to refuse such, even if they wouldn’t have refused with the other children.
“You smelly boy, how can you grow up so much while I was gone?” Adam asked, pulling up the boy’s shirt to blow raspberries against his stomach. The boy giggled wildly under Adam’s assault, staring up at the half elf, who he vaguely recalled. “Do you think I’ll forgive you just because you’re so cute?”
“Yes,” Asorot said.
“Your brother is right.” Adam held the boy against his chest and rocked from side to side, while Konarot glared at him from the side. “You need to let your father dote on the other children for a little bit, you smelly girl.”
“I am not smelly girl…” Konarot pouted.
“Right, right.” Adam reached out a hand and Konarot walked over to allow her father to brush her hair. “Konarot, are you okay? You feel so cold…”
“I’m okay.”
“She is often cold,” Sonarot informed. “It may be due to her lineage.”
‘Kirot and Karot don’t get as cold as her…’ Adam pulled the girl in closer, brushing the girl’s hair, planting a kiss on the top of her head. “You smelly girl, how can you worry your father like this?” He kept kissing his eldest daughter’s head and face, before relenting to kiss the rest of his children who were giving him such looks.
The old Jarot eventually managed to hold onto his grandson, Murot, staring into his eyes. “You must bully your cousin well.”
Murot smiled, laughing at his grandfather’s words, though still not understanding them. He cuddled into his one armed grandfather’s chest.
‘You cannot worry me.’ Jarot let out a long sigh.
“Did you have fun with your father?” Lavgak asked, lifting Jirot and Jarot up, holding them against her sides.
“No! Daddy is working!” Jirot huffed. “Always working. All day daddy is gone and daddy always working.” She raised her hands and shrugged her shoulders.
“Your father works so hard to make sure you are well.”
“I work hard too,” the girl replied.
“Yes, you work so hard to cause trouble.”
The girl smirked, narrowing her eyes. “No.” She cackled, hiding herself against her grandaunts shoulder.
‘Since you get to dote on my kids…’ Adam thought, before lifting up Maygak. “How can you bully me so?”
Maygak eyed up the half elf, narrowing her eyes towards him, squirming against his arms.
“My Maygak, how can you bully me like Jaygak? Has she corrupted you?” Adam brushed through her hair.
Maygak squirmed against him and began to cough as she made to cry, before Adam kissed her forehead and let her down. She stormed off towards her father, clutching as his trousers, before trying to climb up to sit beside him.
Faygak was more like a deer in headlights as Adam held her, the girl about as big as Maygak, but not quite as loud with her emotions.
“Why are you looking at me like that? Do you think because you’re Taygak’s sister that I won’t bully you?” Adam heard a snort nearby. “You’re absolutely right because I’m so scared of Taygak.” Adam kissed her forehead and let her down, though the girl remained staring up at him.
Adam embraced Mokan, who narrowed his eyes towards Adam, before he squirmed and fled away to his mother, Arokan. Alykan was busy with Damokan and Kalokan, but Adam hugged her for a moment, ruffling her hair.
“You two, you better look after Alykan well, okay?”
“Okay,” the twins replied, blinking towards the half elf.
Adam followed after Minool as she rushed from one wall to the other, before finally noticing the shadow, around her. She glanced around before she found Adam right behind her, causing her to twitch and fall. The tiny girl began to twitch and shake as she cried.
‘Oops.’
Jazool slept peacefully while Adam wrought havoc upon the rest of the children, oblivious to the affection she would soon gather from the half elf.