“Come,” little Jarot called, reaching out a hand to Larot.

Larot stared at his elder brother, whose hands were slightly chubbier than his own. The boy looked away.

Jarot frowned, sitting down beside the boy. “I am your big papa. You must listen.”

‘…’

Jarot hugged the boy. “Smelly boy.” He reached up to his brother’s hair, rubbing it, before he kissed the boy’s cheek.

“Jarot!” Jirot called, holding out her hand. “Come.”

Jarot stood, but looked back to his younger brother. “Larot is coming?”

“Larot, come,” Jirot called.

Larot sighed, hoisting himself up, while the twins assisted him, and they each took a hand. ‘…’

“We are go bully babo, okay?” Jirot said, informing her youngest sibling. “No, we cannot bully babo.” The girl smirked, cackling lightly, before the trio stormed their way to cause trouble.

The old man stared out towards the sky. He stared at the storm that had long passed.

It was raining that day.

Jarot brought the cup to his lips, but paused, hearing the squealing that brought him back to the present. “Have you come to play with your babo?”

“No!” Jirot declared, cackling.

While the melancholy broke within the Iyr, miles away, the fire basked the area in warmth, flickering as it swallowed the body whole. The crackle of the pyre burning couldn’t drown out the quiet weeping and sobbing. One of the party members stood tall, hands crossed in front of him, his eyes glued to the fire. He stared into the fire, looking through it to a camp fire the group had shared during one of their first adventures, when they had managed to take down a small black bear in the forest.

‘Hah! You see that? Right between the ribs!’ John had said, stabbing an invisible sword through the air.

‘You idiot, I told you to wait for me,’ Ruben had replied, his voice low and calm, even if he had been annoyed by John.

‘Wait for you? I’ll wait for you when I’m dead, you pidgeon.’

Ruben reached into his pouch, feeling for a copper coin, before he tossed it over onto the fire. “Brother?” A moment later, Ruben cleared his throat. “Brother half elf?”

“Huh?” Adam replied, glancing to his side. “Yeah?”

“I know of The Divine, but, uh…” Ruben swallowed. “I know Lord Musa, but there’s what’s the name of the Divine who guides the souls?”

“Lord Zaladhin, right?”

“You’re the Priest.”

“I know Mother Soza, Lord Sozain, Lady Elaveil, Lady Arya, and that’s about it.”

“Lady Fae, too?”

“There’s a Lady Fae?” Adam asked.

“Patron Divine of the Fae, who are named after her…”

“Jurot?”

“Yes?”

“It’s Lord Zaladhin, right? Lord of Souls?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you,” Ruben replied, before crossing his hands together in front of him, praying quietly to himself. It wasn’t an official prayer, but a prayer that he spoke from the heart, begging the Divine to take John’s soul to the next life.

Adam tossed a copper coin too, before doing the same, praying to Lord Zaladhin. ‘Hey, Lord Zaladhin. I, uh, hope you guide him well. Thanks.’

“I’m sorry about John, Brother. I’m sorry about Hallie, too. She didn’t mean to attack a Brother like you, she was just…”

Adam waved his hand dismissively. “You don’t need to apologise on behalf of dead men, or someone whose mind was clouded by grief. Make sure she’s okay, and that she doesn’t do anything drastic to herself.”

Ruben raised his brows, taken aback by Adam’s words. “I’ll keep an eye on her. About the diamond, Brother. If it’s alright with you, we’ll pay you back at another time, if it doesn’t displease me.”

“It would displease me if you pay me back, now or later. I’m not so poor that I need to charge you for something I did for myself.” Adam turned, stepping away from Ruben, not wanting to continue the awkward conversation.

“Thank you, Brother.”

“Yeah.” Adam walked over to his companions, sitting down beside Jaygak, kicking up some dirt to get rid of some of his anxiety.

“Okay?” Jaygak asked.

“Yeah,” Adam replied, his tone suggesting he wasn’t.

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Jaygak sat beside the half elf, remaining silent for a long while. “Adam, do you remember Tagak?”

“Who?”

“You fought his little sister, Rigak, and she defeated you.”

“I vaguely remember, yeah,” Adam replied, a small smile appearing across his lips.

“We sometimes fought when we were younger,” Jaygak said. “I wasn’t able to defeat him. Sometimes, but he would win, six to four, if I was lucky. We didn’t like each other, but… at some point, we stopped disliking each other. I don’t remember when, but I remember disliking him when I was younger, but we were fine later. Sometimes I wonder, why did we dislike each other? We were children. We had no reason to dislike each other.”

“It’s just that way sometimes.”

Jaygak nodded her head gently, and she glanced down towards her waterskin. She sipped it lightly. “Adam?”

“Yeah?”

Jaygak turned to face Adam, taking in the sight of his face for a moment, before she looked back down. “That necromancer, did he scare you too?”

“Yeah.”

Jaygak slowly nodded her head, and left the conversation there, sipping her water. She thought back to the fire that had taken Adam from them. It was the first time she had somehow managed to outfight even Adam. Jaygak had never been drunk on success, but she knew Adam had been that way. He had been so drunk on success, until the Lord of Flames completely defeated the strongest of Fate’s Golden. He had done so after already dealing with Okvar, and Rasam, the Rasam, who was already ridiculously strong even for an Iyrman.

‘Why am I even adventuring?’ Jaygak thought.

“Jaygak?”

“Yes?”

“If we ever get into a fight that’s too much, make sure you get back alive so you can tell the kids how cool I am,” Adam said.

“You’ll have to do it yourself, Adam.”

“I’m just saying, if things ever-,”

“Adam,” Jaygak said, reaching out to place a hand on the half elf’s knee. “You know I can’t.”

“You have to.”

“You know I can’t.”

Adam fell silent.

“Do you trust me that little?”

“You know it’s not like that.”

“Then why did you ask me?”

“One of us has to live, and you’re the best.”

“I can’t.”

“It has to be you.”

“Why?”

“For Taygak and Raygak, you can’t be the one to die.”

“For Taygak and Raygak, I can’t run.”

“…” Adam looked down towards the earth.

“You should be the one to go back.”

“I’m not going to leave you.”

“It has to be you.”

“Why?”

“You’re not an Iyrman, Adam,” Jaygak said, her voice clear and firm. “I am an Iyrman. If I die, it brings hope. If you die, it will not.”

‘Damn it,’ Adam thought, reaching up to his forehead, rubbing his pounding temples. ‘How did she turn it back around me?’ “If I have a silver tongue, you definitely have a golden tongue.”

“I may not be a golden child, but in this way, I’m definitely better than the rest,” Jaygak joked, patting Adam’s shoulder, trying not to be too hurt by his words.

“Tomorrow, let’s buy some nice shields for the girls,” Adam said.

“Okay.”

Ruben remained watching the flames until they finally disappeared, taking with them his friend. He gathered his group and followed the Priest and his companions to Ever Green. The journey back was silent, each lost within the darkness of their thoughts.

The walls of Ever Green greeted them, and a few hours later, they stepped through the gates, the guards remaining quiet, sensing the darkness in the air.

“Adam, come,” Jurot said.

“Sure.”

“Brother Adam,” Ruben called. “Thank you again.”

Adam waved his hand. “Yeah. Any time.” Adam tapped his helmet with a quick double finger salute, and turned to follow his brother.

They made their way to a particular inn, to a particular section of the town, though Adam hadn’t understood the difference between the districts yet. They approached a small shop, one which provided seats only for a handful of people at a time, whose cheapest items started at a silver piece. The building was wooden, as one might have expected, with a guard wearing light chain at the entrance, arms crossed, a blade at her side.

“Steak. Eggs. One baked potato, no salt, no butter.” Jurot placed down three silver coins above three copper coins. He looked to his brother.

“I’ll have what he’s having.”

“Steak,” Jurot said.

“Steak,” Adam began, following his brother, before placing down the coins, realising Jurot had placed them in a certain way, so the half elf copied him.

The food was brought not long later, and though the potato was plain, Adam was certain his twins would appreciate it regardless since it tasted almost buttery by itself. Adam ate quietly beside his brother, almost like a mouse. He had wanted to compliment the cook, but Jurot remained silent, focused on his meal.

‘Bit thirsty, though.’

“Peach wine,” Jurot said, placing down two silver coins, glancing to his brother, who repeated the action.

Once the peach wine was brought, Jurot took a moment, staring at the peach wine. He poured the wine on the floor, almost offended. Adam, who had picked up the wine, furrowed his brows, and Jurot slowly bowed his head, and he did the same.

“The wine is no good,” Jurot said, his brother echoing his words.

The guard glanced back to see the trouble, reaching for her blade.

“I apologise,” the worker replied, an older man, and he bowed his head lightly. He smiled nervously. “Please, allow me to make it up to you.” The worker motions a hand back to the guard, before leading them deeper into the shop, taking them down a set of steps to an underground room, where the worker opened the door and allowed the pair in.

Jurot waited, counting in his mind. “We are safe now. No one is listening. No one can scry.”

“Right?”

“Do you have Sending prepared?” Jurot asked, as though he didn’t know the answer.

“Yeah.”

“Please send word to the Chief. I will tell you the words.”

Many miles away, in the Iyr, the Chief drank his tea, eyeing up the notes. It was obvious that the Mad Dog would behave like this after what happened. He was just glad the crippled Iyrman hadn’t pushed for much more, considering how much the Rot family could have asked for. However, he read the warning from the Family Elder of the Rot family, who was the childrens’ greatmother.

‘Ancient Lich awoken,’ came the familiar voice, which only troubled the Chief more. ‘After our time. Before Demonic Devastation. Wields green orb. Five ancient guards protectors. Fifth Gate spells. Dangerous.’

The Chief realised they were not Adam’s words, since he would have been too shy to group himself among the Iyrmen, and the words carried Iyrmen efficiency. He didn’t check his notes to see if he had written them correctly since Adam had taken quite some time to send the message.

“Thank you. I will inform the Great Elders. I hope you are all safe.”

‘We’re safe, Chief. I hope everything’s good in the Iyr, and don’t spoil my children too much.’

“Everything is well in the Iyr,” the Chief assured. “I make no promises not to spoil your children too much.”

A long moment passed, and the Chief wondered if Adam would reply back. No, it was foolish to wonder of such.

‘I’ll forgive you since you’re spoiling my kids.’

Chief Iromin smiled. He stood up, checking his notes, before making his way out. He walked towards the meeting place of the Great Elders, the estate which had been designed for them to all meet, and he noted Elder Teacher was already there, his arms crossed, taking a nap from working so hard. The Great Elder awoke, his eyes falling on the Chief.

“Meeting?” Elder Teacher asked.

“Meeting.”

“How many?”

“Everyone.”

“Okay,” Elder Teacher replied, wondering why the Chief needed to call a meeting with everyone.

“I apologise in advance for the work you will need to do,” the Chief said, knowing how difficult it had been for Elder Teacher to overhaul the children’s teaching, only for him to be forced to overhaul it again.

Hours later, once the meeting was done, the Great Elders left Elder Teacher be, to allow him to sleep in peace, praying for his sanity.