Omen: 17, 20

“We would like to keep her today,” Lokat informed over breakfast of porridge and fruit.

Adam let out a long sigh. “Konarot, did you hear that?”

“Daddy…”

“I know, I know, but you might be sick. Do you want your sisters and brothers to get sick?”

The girl shook her head, though she pouted up towards her father, her ears and tail slumping.

“What a good girl you are, thinking of your siblings even now.” Adam brushed along her hair. ‘It just had to be today, eh?’

A knock interrupted the trio, before Jarot stepped within, carrying a pack. “Is my Konarot well?”

“She needs to stay here for longer.”

“I will stay. It is difficult for me to explore the festival with this leg of mine.“ Jarot sat opposite the pair, holding out a hand to his greatdaughter. “Come, my Konarot.”

Konarot glanced up towards her father. “…”

“Your babo wants to play with you today. I’ll go tell your sisters and brothers you’re okay, okay?”

“Okay.” The girl pouted once more, her tail brushing along the floor a moment.

Adam kissed the girl’s nose. “Come on, we can at least bathe together, okay?”

“Okay.”

Adam bathed with his daughter, keeping the water warm, though not too hot, since his daughter preferred it only barely warm. He washed her hair, dried it, and brushed it. He slipped her into her festival outfit, while Adam slipped into his own. ‘The old man’s this smart?’

The pair embraced tightly, Adam swaying with her within his arms. “Don’t cause too much trouble, okay?”

“Okay.”

Adam planted a firm kiss on her cheek before he stepped out, making his way towards the shared estate. He veered off slightly towards the Elder’s estate, stepping in to see Zijin, who was marking notes by himself, his eyes snapping up to Adam.

“Good morning, Elder.”

“Good morning, Adam. How is Konarot?”

“She’s… I don’t know. She seems fine.”

“I pray she is well.”

“Me too.” Adam felt the amulet within his shirt. “I, uh… I need some materials to make up stuff. You know, like arms, legs, tongues, eyes, noses, that sort of thing.”

“Livingwood, livingwater, livingmetal,” Zijin noted off the top of his head. “There is a spell, Regrowth.”

“Yeah. If I had a Ring of Regeneration this would be simply, but you know how it is, I’m very lucky in some ways, less lucky in other ways.”

“If you were that lucky, we would consider you a greater threat.”

“You’re lucky I’m stupid.”

Zijin bowed his head.

“Don’t agree too quickly,” Adam joked, raising his brow. “Alright, well… I guess I need a bunch of stuff.”

“Red oak can also work.”

“Red oak?”

“Some Rings of Regeneration are made of such.”

“So…” Adam narrowed his eyes. “Does the Iyr have any?”

“We do.”

“So… can we make some kind of deal?”

“Elder Gold and Elder Forest may not trade for it.”

“They might if I offer enough.”

“Red oak is best bought from Red Oak.”

Adam slowly nodded his head, feeling the Elder’s resistance within his words. “Alright. I appreciate the information.” Adam bowed his head and turned to leave.

“Adam,” Zijin called. “Your daughter will be well.”

“Yeah,” Adam replied, as though he believed it. ‘She better be, Baktu.’

The triplets noticed their father first as they charged up towards him, hugging his leg, their tails shifting the snow behind them.

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“Did you miss your daddy?”

“Yes,” Kirot replied, and Karot nodded. “Kaka?”

“She’s with the Shamans, she’s okay,” Adam said, brushing their cheeks, feeling how warm they were in comparison to their sister. Adam glanced aside towards Vonda, who seemed healthy and well. “Vonda…”

“I’m glad she’s fine.”

“Yeah…” Adam fell silent for a moment. “Are you okay?”

“I am fine.” Vonda smiled warmly.

“She’s… you know she’s not like that. I don’t know what happened, but… she…” Adam’s throat closed up, unsure of how to feel about him making excused for his child after what she did.

“I know.”

Adam let out a long sigh. “I’ll keep an eye on her. I’m sure… I’m sure she’ll accept you.”

“We do not need to force her. It will grow naturally.”

“Yeah…” Adam sighed once more.

“Papa, it’s okay,” Lanarot said, walking over to her brother to rub his head. “It’s okay.”

“Daddy!” Jirot said, charging towards her father, hugging his leg, while Jarot hugged his other leg. “Kaka is okay?”

“She’s fine.”

“Kaka is stuhrong,” Jirot said, patting her father’s leg. “It is okay.”

“That’s right. Konarot is strong, isn’t she?”

“Yes,” the children replied, with Lanarot taking a wider stance.

“Of course she is, she’s my daughter, after all. That’s how it is, after all.” Adam placed his hands on his hips, smiling wide.

Vonda noted the tension within Adam’s jaw.

Adam joined the rest of his family to walk around the festival, doing his best to keep his children distracted, though his heart remained heavy throughout the day. Jurot and Pam accompanied him, the woman’s eyes glued to the half dragons and the goblins, while her eyes snapped aside to the demon, carried within her future mother in law’s arms.

‘What is this?’

At some point Jurot carried his youngest nephew within his arms, his mother slipping away.

“Larot is special,” Jurot said.

“He is…” Pam glanced down at the boy, noting the lack of horns.

“He is well behaved.”

“That’s good…”

Jurot slowly nodded his head. “If Jirot bullies you, you may inform us.”

“Jirot is the goblin?”

Jurot remained silent for a long moment. “She is the eldest of the twins.”

‘Are his children Iyrmen?’ Pam thought, suddenly feeling more apprehensive, thinking back to the stories she had heard.

The festival continued, and once evening approached, Adam excused himself. He could feel the expectant gazes of his oldest children as he made his way to the Shamans.

“It is not your choice to make,” Sonarot stated firmly.

“I am Elder Shaman,” the old woman, whose wrinkles fell like hanging vines on her face, spoke firmly, her voice low and full of authority. She wore the heavy cloak of dark green with golden trim of the Shamans. She clasped her staff tightly in hand, planted firmly within the earth like an oak tree. “It is within my domain. It is too dangerous for it to remain within her. The Arcarius Gem is not to be trifled with. It is considered one of the Gems of Jiad.”

“I know the tales,” Sonarot snapped back towards one of the highest ranking Iyrman within the Iyr. “The removal is not your choice to make.”

“She is not a-,”

“Konababy,” Adam called out, holding out his arms, while the tiny girl hopped away from the Shamans and rushed towards her father, the pair embracing tight. “Are you bullying your nana?”

“No.” Konarot hid her face within her father’s chest, letting his scent comfort her cold heart.

“Of course you’re not.” Adam kissed her forehead, feeling a lingering coolness against this lips. “So, what’s going on here?”

“There is a great danger within your daughter.”

“A Gem of Arcius?”

“The Arcarius Gem,” Elder Shaman corrected.

“What’s so dangerous about it?”

“It explains why your daughter is quick to anger and can bring forth great ice.”

Adam brushed his daughter’s hair. “I knew it wasn’t your fault.” Adam brought the girl’s head to his chest again. ‘I knet it.’ “So, what’s the situation?”

“We will remove the gem.”

“Will it hurt her?”

“Even if it was to kill the girl, we-,”

“You’re not going to finish that sentence because we’re not going to have any problems, Elder Shaman,” Adam replied, firmly. His eyes remained focused within the woman’s eyes, which pierced through his own with a glare. The Family Head’s eyes were also a deep glare, glued to Elder Shaman.

“You should be careful of speaking so casually to Elder Shaman,” called the Iyrman. He was an older man, long hair dyed red with streaks of white. His strong jaw felt the chill of the air of nightval, his small eyes tired from the stress of his position. He was flanked with an old troublemaker, who limped his way to his greatdaughter, kneeling down to ruffle her hair. “What is the meaning of this?”

“The girl possesses The Arcarius Gem.”

Iromin inhaled sharply. ‘Oh.’

“Is someone going to explain this gem to me?” Adam asked.

“It possesses great power,” Iromin began, letting out a soft sigh. ‘It must be his children to cause such trouble…’ “The Gems of Jiad are powerful artefacts. The Gem of Arcarius grants great abilities to the wielder, from ignoring the effects of the cold, to empowering one’s own cold, and the ability to cast certain spells daily. It is cursed, causing one to rage with ease.”

“Our Konarot rages so quickly,” Jarot confirmed, puffing out his chest with pride. “She takes after me.”

Iromin blinked, recalling Jarot’s threat which had forced him to arrive so swiftly. His eyes fell to Elder Shaman. “Will the removal harm the girl?”

“It may, or it may not.”

“How much will it harm her?”

“It may kill her.”

Iromin inhaled sharply, his eyes glued to Elder Shaman’s. “We do not allow our children to undergo death so freely, not without the appropriate price.”

“She is not one of our children.”

Iromin raised a hand towards Jarot’s chest, feeling the heat of rage filling the old man. “She holds privileges as a Niece of the Rot family.”

Elder Shaman inhaled sharply in return. She was about to reply when she paused. She caught Iromin’s eyes for a moment, the Chief bowing his head lightly. “She will not be harmed.”

Adam glanced between the pair. ‘What?’

“She will not be harmed, Adam,” Iromin stated. “Will you allow us to remove the gem from within her?”

“I mean… if it won’t hurt her, sure.”

“She will lose its abilities.”

Adam shrugged his shoulders. “Will it make her better?”

“Yes.”

“Then it is what it is.”

“I shall prepare,” Elder Shaman said, standing up taller.

“Who is the gem going to belong to?” Adam asked.

Iromin and Elder Shaman glanced between one another before his eyes fell back to the half elf. “What do you suggest?”

“Obviously it belongs to my daughter.”

“Will you leave it within the Iyr’s hands until she has grown of age?”

“How old?”

“When she becomes a woman.”

“How old?”

“Sixteen.”

“Okay, but she can ask for it before then, and you must give it to her.”

“Okay.”

“I can ask for it, and so can my wife, but when we ask for it, it must be given to her.”

“Okay.”

“The removal will take some time,” Elder Shaman informed.

“How long?”

“It may require up to a week.”

“The entire festival’ll be done by then.”

“It should be completed before the Twilight Month.”

“Can you do it the day after tomorrow? I want to take her to explore the festival with her siblings.”

“Very well.” Elder Shaman left.

Adam picked his daughter up, staring into her curious silver eyes. “Did you hear? The Iyrmen will make you better.”

“Okay,” the girl replied, resting her head against her father’s chest, clutching at his shirt.

“Let’s have lots of fun tomorrow.”