The journey back to the Iyr came with little fanfare. They had spent a few days in Red Oak, not quite enough to explore it completely, and Adam hadn’t yet spoiled his children enough. He remained within the carriage, drawn by his large magical steed.

‘I allowed your town to auction our weapons. I allowed you to buy our magical weapons. I allowed your High Alchemist to pick a fight with me and let him leave intact. This is how you repay me, you bit-,’

“Adam?” Lucy’s voice broke through Adam’s thoughts.

“Yeah?”

“I didn’t get to take the twins out, so next time, you can’t keep them all to yourself.”

Adam’s lips formed a small smile, the half elf’s eyes falling out to the window to see the the trees of the forest. “It’s not my fault they love their daddy this much.”

Lucy also leaned back and looked out the window to the forest, the trees passing by, like shallow memories. Even though she had started the joke, and she wanted to continue it, she couldn’t.

“Home?” Jirot asked, furrowing her brows at her grandmother.

“Yes. Did you like your time in the town?” Sonarot asked, reaching up to pinch the girl’s nose gently, causing her to giggle.

“Yes.”

“Do you like the Iyr or the town the most?”

“Iyr.”

“What about the fort?” Sonarot asked.

“Mmm…” Jirot fell into thought, before being distracted by the passing trees.

“Your father lives in the fort,” Sonarot joked.

Jirot glanced around to see if her father was here, and even so, she reached up to hide her mouth and whispered, loudly. “I like the foat!” She squealed and cackled, clapping her hands together.

Sonarot brought the girl to her chest. She then stole her grandson from his greatfather, who he had been named after, and held them both. Her heart throbbed in her heart. “Some people tried to hurt you. They cannot.” Sonarot had to think for a moment. “Your father will not let them. Your babo will not let them. Your nana will not let them.”

“Unko Jurot?”

“Uncle Jurot will not let them. Your mother will not let them. We will not let them.” She planted firm kisses against their foreheads.

“Nana. They do not like me because I am goblin?”

“That is right.”

“Is okay, I am daddy’s dohta,” the girl said, smiling innocently, perhaps still not understanding how close to death she had come.

“Yes,” Sonarot said, holding the pair close to his chest. “That is right. That is right, my granddaughter.”

The old one armed Jarot also glanced aside, watching the passing trees as they passed. The memories came to him as they passed by. The memories of his youth, the flashes of red, the feeling of carving through flesh and bone, the screams, the cries, the begging. ‘Mad Dog? Mad Dog? When did this Mad Dog kill children?’

Gangak, who had forced herself into the position of watcher over Jirot, also stared out of the carriage. As the trees passed by, her mind fell deeper into her thoughts. In some small part, there was a joy which burned within her heart. She, who had worried for these children so deeply, had finally seen the confirmation. The Jin, Sen, and Gek families, had all stepped up.

“Nana,” Jirot called, pausing from her thumb sucking.

“Yes?”

“I love papo,” Jirot said, before climbing up her grandmother, grabbing her head. “You cannot say, okay? Is secret.”

Sonarot pressed her forehead against the girl’s, rubbing her cheek against the girl’s, who kissed her grandmother’s forehead, before nestling herself within her grandmother’s neck.

Little Jarot continued to suck his thumb, staring at his greatfather, who was so lost to his thoughts, he couldn’t even feel the gaze of his greatson upon him. The boy thought of the scene before him. He had seen his grandfather fight with such might, such vigour, his aunt would have deafened his ears had she been beside him. The Iyrman had moved so quickly, his amber eyes could barely keep up, and even though the blades had pierced the old man, they hadn’t drawn much blood. Just like his sister, his favourite colour was red. It was not any red, however, but the red that the old man turned when he fought.

As the boy sucked his thumb and his heavy eyes fell. ‘Babo…’ The warm memories of his greatfather lulled the boy to sleep.

It was evening by the time the carriages approached the fort. This was not the minor fort of the Aldishmen, who had not provided much trouble for the group as they passed through, either through ignorance, or great wisdom. The soldiers had allowed the Iyrmen through without hassle, and of course, the Iyr paid the tax appropriately. This was a fort that provided warmth for many, and not only did it not ask for tax, it paid the tax.

Dunes kept an eye on the half elf, adorned in his purple breastplate, who had gone to hoist his children up. He waited until Adam was done pampering them, allowing them to bully him, before he brought them to their mother. ‘…’

“Mummy! Mummy!” Jirot called, reaching up with a small strip of cloth. “I buyed it for you, mummy, I buyed it.”

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“You bought it for me?”

“I boht it,” the girl confirmed, handing her mother a strip of purple.

Vonda rubbed the girl’s head, before accepting all the gifts from the children, embracing each of them, kissing their foreheads so tenderly. She embraced Konarot gently, sneaking a quick kiss on the girl’s forehead, but the girl quickly retreated back to her father.

“I missed you all so much…” Vonda said, allowing the children to swarm her. She smiled at the little half dragon boy, who held up a small book wrapped in yellow cloth. She accepted it from his hands, the boy shyly squirming before he hid behind his father. Vonda dared a peek, still noting the stress upon her husband’s face, but she remained with the children.

“You should stay with your mother for now,” Adam said, picking up his youngest son, blowing a raspberry into his neck, marking the half elf for death, before he handed the boy over to his mother, who held little Larot beside her.

“Daddy?” Konarot called, pouting up towards her father.

“I’ll be back soon, my dear.” Adam smiled, reaching out to ruffle her silver hair, before stepping away. He motioned his head to Dunes to follow him, and the half elf took him around back to his own house. He noted how clean it was still, before pouring the Priest of War a cup of water, warming it with his magic, flavouring it too.

Dunes waited for Adam to speak, sipping his water slowly, tasting the sharp flavour of a fruit he was unfamiliar with on his tongue.

“Blackberry.”

“What?”

“It’s the…” Adam shook his head. “It’s the name of a fruit. Sorry, sorry, blackcurrant, not blackberry. It’s the name of the flavour. I think it’s a fruit, but don’t quote me on that. It’s a pretty common flavour where I’m from. I grew up drinking the stuff.” Adam sipped the drink, tasting the flavours against his tongue. “Except I’m not sure. Is this the same? Is it just a version that’s formed in my memory? Things from my… things that come from my past, I don’t know if I remember them right, or if… you know?”

“I know,” Dunes said, slowly nodding his head.

“…” Adam stared down at his cup. He thought about changing the colour of the drink too, but he shook his head. “They were attacked, Dunes.”

“…” ‘What?’

“Jirot. Jarot. The Count, Westmoon, he attacked them. His family are known for killing goblins, or so I’m told. He attacked them. They didn’t do anything. They were just walking around town. Jirot, of course, rushed ahead, but Rajin picked her up. Kids, man, always trying to get themselves killed.” Adam chuckled, but his lips did not form a smile, rather, his jaw tensed up. “Those bastards, Dunes! Those fucking bastards! God fucking damn them! Who do they think they are?”

Dunes remained silent as Adam slammed the table with the side of his fist, fuming as his entire bloody flushed with a deep red.

“Even after the old man showed them mercy, they wanted to punish us. Those fuckers, they think because they’re nobles, they can fuck with me? With me? Just you wait, you fuckers, when I’m a Paragon, let’s see you fuck around then!”

Adam continued his tirade for a short while longer, though Dunes was only half paying attention, and once he was done, the half elf let out a long sigh. “Dunes.”

“Yes?”

“Do I kill them?”

“The Count?”

“Yeah.”

“No.”

“You’re right,” Adam said, letting out another sigh. “I can’t kill them, yet. Vonda would be sad, and I’m not strong enough to deal with the consequences.”

‘Did you say yet?’

‘Right, I can’t just go around killing nobles again, not with how strong people are around here.’ “Once I’m stronger, I’ll just take some limbs instead.”

“…”

“Dunes?”

“Yes?”

“I’m serious, you know.”

“I know.”

Adam slowly nodded his head, feeling his entire body relax, the exhaustion taking him. He leaned back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling. “Thanks for listening to me rant, Dunes.”

“It is no problem, Adam.”

“I’m glad we’re friends.”

Dunes smiled. “Me too.”

Adam held up his drink and Dunes raised his own, the pair finishing their drinks together.

While Adam spent the time with Manager Dunes, Fred dropped down beside George, holding out the book to the boy. ‘Didn’t know books were so expensive.’

The boy's eyes lit up, and he tapped his chin, before opening up the book. He smelt it and rubbed it against his cheek, before brushing his hand along the paper, feeling how coarse it was under his hand.

‘Guess I get paid well enough.’

The sky darkened, the stars soon sparkling across the sky.

“No!” she cried. “Nooo!”

“It is time to sleep,” Vonda said.

“Mummy, I sleep with you!” Jirot said, hugging her mother’s leg tight.

“Go sleep with your nana.”

“No! I will not! I sleep with mummy!” Jirot wrapped her arms around her mother’s leg tighter. “I potec you, mummy.”

“Jirot…” Vonda reached down to rub the girl’s head gently, glancing aside to her husband, who seemed to understand something had happened.

“Alright, fine, mummy will sleep with you, but only because she misses you so much, okay?” Adam said, relenting to his daughter, not for the first time, and not the last. Adam placed a hand on Vonda’s back. “I’m going to finish up some work, so why don’t you head to bed early too?”

“Okay,” Vonda replied, reaching out to hold his hand for a moment, before leading the children away.

“I know, I know,” Adam said, lifting up his eldest, blowing a raspberry against her neck. “Since daddy is finishing up some work, you need to look after your little sisters and brothers, okay?”

“Okay…” The girl’s tail swayed from side to side beneath her while she held her father, before he set her down and she waddled off to follow her siblings and the woman that she had to call her mother.

Adam let out another long sigh, trying to push away the stress, before he approached the rest of the businessfolk. He smiled politely towards them all, but the shadows from the firelight flickered across his face, revealing more than he would have liked.

“I apologise for being a little distant recently, I didn’t mean to be, it was just that some personal matters came up,” Adam said, bowing his head to Rick and the others. He hadn’t been able to bring along their families as intended, though he had offered to pay them some money to tide them over for a short while.

Rick’s eyes flickered to Fred for a moment, recalling the rumours he had heard, and though he had spoken to Fred, it seemed Fred didn’t know what truly had happened. “It’s alright, Executive.”

“I’ll be sure to send for your family the next time we… have some business in Red Oak,” Adam stated awkwardly, reaching up to rub his knuckle along his brow. ‘Damn it.’ “Freddie, we’ll be testing you out sooner or later, but just… Fred’ll show you where you can sleep for the night. Manager Dunes will inform you of the rules you’ll need to follow tomorrow morning.”

“Yes, mister boss,” Freddie replied.

Adam smiled, nodding his head, before he stepped away. He paused. “Lead Fred, why don’t you show Freddie where he’ll be sleeping now, and you can come meet the rest over near the inner area of the fort.”

“Yes, boss,” Fred replied, getting up quickly to do as he was commanded. Once he was done, he found them all sitting together, with the tension heavy in the air. There were the Executives, as he had expected, but there were also the Managers, sans the two pregnant women. However, there was also the other Lead, Jonn, an Oathsworn, who had sworn his oaths to Adam.

Then, finally, there was him.

Fred.

A farmer from Rock Hill.

He had been invited to speak in a meeting with all these high ranking officials, each of whom could beat him senseless, and yet he had been invited. He could feel the excitement run through his body.

“No…” Adam said, causing Fred to pause as he sat down. “How dare he, the bastard. He’s just a Count, and he thinks he can kill my kids? Let’s kill him.”

Fred blinked, suddenly regretting being invited to a meeting that would certainly lead to his death.