“No,” Adam said, using his body to protect the pair. “I refuse.”

“They must go visit their families,” Jaygak said.

“How can you do this to me?” Adam asked. “Jaygak, you should know when your jokes go too far!”

“And what are you doing right now?”

Adam sniffled, pulling Maygak and Faygak in closer, rubbing his cheek against theirs. “Maygak, Faygak, you two…” Adam planted firm kisses on their cheeks before he allowed Jaygak to take the girls from his arms. “I’m only letting you both go since your siblings treated you so well.”

“You are so silly, cousin Adam,” Raygak said, his cheeks flushing slightly.

“Silly,” Taygak agreed, nodding her head as she crossed her arms.

Maygak and Faygak, adorned within almost identical outfits of dark red, were taken by their parents. Jogak whisked his daughter into his arms, before Kaygak gently lifted her own daughter up, the tiny girl smiling shyly.

Adam watched, teary eyed as the pair of girls were taken away. He caught Jaygak’s eyes, the young woman smirking towards Adam. ‘I’m only going to let you go today, Jaygak!’

Jurot pat Adam’s shoulder. “Jirot.”

Jirot’s head snapped towards her uncle, who rarely spoke with her. She waited, unsure of what to expect.

“Do you wish to see your nano?”

“Nano?” Jirot asked.

“Nano Gangak.”

“I want to see!” Jirot said, quickly standing up rushing over towards her uncle. “Papo! We go now?”

“We can leave soon,” Jurot said.

‘My brother is a genius!’ “Jurot, it’s not fair for you to be smart, handsome, and strong. You need to leave something for me.”

“You are handsome and strong too.”

“…”

“…”

“What need of I to be smart when Jirot is smart for me?”

“Yes,” Jurot replied.

Jirot smiled. “Yes.”

“Konarot, do you want to see nano Gangak too?”

Konarot blinked. “Baba?”

“Baba?” Adam asked. “Baba Tonagek?”

Konarot nodded.

“When’s Danagek’s birthday?”

“The fifth,” Jurot replied.

‘Damn, he answered that so quick…’ Adam flushed slightly. ‘Hold on, I should know that!’ “The fifth?” Adam narrowed his eyes slightly. “How cute.”

After a few hours, they made their way to the extended Gak family estate, not far from the Rot family estate. Jitool had come too, the girl crying as she watched the twins leave once more, but quickly calmed down as Kitool carried her to the extended family estate.

“Did you miss me that much?” Jaygak asked.

“You think I’ve come here for you?” Adam asked. “Of course I’m here so my twins can trouble their nano.”

Jirot and Jarot remained beside Adam, noting their nano from afar. Jirot tugged on her father’s leg and pointed. “Look, daddy, look. It is nano!”

“You see?” Adam led his twins to their nano, who was relaxing near to one side. Adam’s eyes darted towards Maygak and Faygak, the pair sitting on their grandmother’s lap, an older Iyrman with a thin nose and a pair of broken horns. ‘What was her name? Jigak?’

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Gangak opened her arms for the twins to swarm her, the pair climbing up onto her lap. “Little Jitool, you have come too?” Gangak reached out a hand for the girl, who took stared at the hand. “Come.”

Jitool climbed onto the woman’s lap too, the three little ones on their nano’s lap as she held them close.

The older Iyrman beside Gangak eyed up the children. The twins and the girl, all of whom were related to him. They would have been his own greatchildren if the Rot family had decided to reject Adam and his children.

“Hello, babo,” Jirot said, waving her hand.

“Hello, my Jirot,” Rogak replied, reaching out to tickle her cheek. “Are you behaving?”

The girl smirked in response, causing the old man to let out a soft sigh. “Is kako foht!” The girl snickered and hid her mouth, while pulling back to her greataunt’s bosom.

“My greatniece is so smart,” Rogak said, before reaching over to tickle the boy’s cheek. “Are you behaving, my little Jarot?”

Jarot smiled shyly. “Yes…”

Rogak smiled, tickling his cheek further, before brushing Jitool’s hair. “I do not need to ask you, since you are your sister’s sister.”

Jitool smiled, revealing her tiny white teeth, before she hid herself within her greataunt’s bosom too.

‘I didn’t realise they were so close to Jirot and Jarot…’ Adam thought, while his triplets remained near him. Adam remained within the Gak family estate for some time, greeting the other Gaks, especially the tiny children who were his distant cousins. ‘I’m allowed to spoil you too, aren’t I?’

“Don’t think about dangerous things,” Jaygak said. “It’s my sister’s first birthday. You should do at least that much.”

“Am I thinking something dangerous?”

“The Chief has given you permission to spoil Maygak and Faygak, but you have to receive the Family Elder’s permission to spoil the rest.”

“Who said I wanted to spoil them?”

“You won’t?”

“Who I said I won’t spoil them?”

“Unrivalled!” a child called, pointing to Adam. “I will fight you!”

“Since you know my name, who are you?”

“I am Rigak, daughter of Shigak!” The girl stood taller. She was no older than eight years old, but she held a fierce look within her eyes. “We will fight now.”

“I will surrender,” Adam said.

Rigak blinked, glancing towards her mother. “I have won?”

“Of course you have won, for how could I defeat Rigak daughter of Shigak?” Adam asked.

Rigak listened to his words, engraving them within her heart. “Yes.”

Shigak eyed up the young half elf, narrowing her eyes towards him. She understood Adam was queer, but his words were filling the girl with a sense of accomplishment she didn’t earn. “Rigak, come. You cannot challenge Adam to fight.”

“I cannot?”

“You cannot.”

Rigak pouted, rushing up to her mother, who ruffled her hair.

“You cannot fight Rigak because she is too young, but will you fight me?” an Iyrman asked, a young man who was about Adam’s age.

Adam vaguely recognised him as someone he had met once before, but didn’t quite recall him. “I would rather not fight any of the Gak family?”

“You will not?”

“You’re all so scary,” Adam replied.

“I have heard that you do not view Jaygak that way.”

“Jaygak is Jaygak.”

The Iyrman narrowed his eyes towards the half elf. “Will you fight, or will you run away?”

“I’ll run away.”

“You will run so easily?”

“Why are you challenging me?”

“I wish to face you.”

“Why?”

“Is there a need for me to face you?”

“You are an Iyrman,” Adam said, his tone lowering. “You should speak the truth.”

“I have yet to lie.”

“If you don’t have enough self respect to-,”

“Adam,” Jaygak called.

Adam inhaled deeply. He glanced around towards the Iyrmen glancing towards him, their eyes watching the scene as though it were a drama. “I’ll adore the girls for a moment and then take my children to their baba.”

Adam lifted the girls from their grandmother’s arms, planting kisses on their cheeks, embracing them close within his arms. “Why have you become so big now? You should stay small and cure forever! Maygak, why must you bully me like this? Faygak, I’ll forgive you since Taygak will beat me up if I tease you.”

“No,” Taygak said, snorting lightly. “Cannot.”

“Taygak, how can you say that when you are so strong?”

“Not strong.”

“Jaygak, what do you think?”

“Of course our Taygak is strong,” Jaygak said, flashing a smile towards the girl. “Taygak and Rigak, they’re both so strong.”

“Since Jaygak has said so, it must be true.”

“Jaygak, joking,” Taygak said, letting out another snort.

“What do you think, nano Gangak?” Adam asked.

“Taygak, you are strong, you are my brother’s granddaughter. Rigak, you are strong, you are my brother’s granddaughter.” Gangak placed the twins beside her, lifting Jitool up as she stood. “Have I spoken a lie?”

Taygak flushed slightly, glancing away. Rigak smiled, glancing towards her mother, who sighed, brushing the girl’s hair.

“You’ll see,” Adam said. “Jaygak fought the Blade of the Tide. If it wasn’t for the Order of Life’s Rose, she would have beat her up! Obviously our Taygak and Rigak will do so much more! Our Maygak and Faygak, they’ll…” Adam paused. “They’ll stay small and cute forever so I can spoil them!”

“Stop being so cri-,”

“Don’t do this to me, Jaygak,” Adam said, embracing the girls closer. “Are you two listening? Your elder sisters are so amazing, and they’re so strong, so you can stay small and cute forever.”

‘Is he an idiot?’ Tagak thought. Yet, the want to fight Adam increased, if nothing else than to stop the feeling of sickness which could only be described as second hand embarrassment. His eyes fell to his sister, Rigak, who was beaming so happily. ‘I will forgive you, since you have made my sister smile so brightly.’

The rain continued to fall across the Iyr. Tonagek moved the piece against his uncle, who remained still for a long while. Lightning flashed and illuminated his form for a moment. Just as he was about to move his piece, he noted the appearance of several others approaching them.

“I will leave you to the grandchildren.”

“They are your greatniece and greatnephew too,” Tonagek said.

“You should be careful with your words,” Dogek said, standing, his face as stonelike as ever, just like his grandfather’s. “The Gek family must abide by its duty to the Iyr first.”

Tonagek said nothing as the troublemaker and his children appeared.