Omen: 1, 8

  ‘It’s not like I was going to ent today anyway,’ Adam thought. ‘I’ll need some nice rolls for Amira’s magical on, but I do that ter.’

  Ohey were doh their m routine, Adam sat, with Lanarot on his p, embrag her tight. The girl smiled, resting her head against her brother’s chest.

  “Adam, even if it’s this day, you ’t do something ridiculous,” Jaygak stated, gring at him. The other adult Iyrmen slowly bowed their heads, though supp Jaygak was so awkward sidering how much of a mess she used to cause.

  “I am still her brother, Jaygak,” Adam replied, returning the gre. “I’m allowed to be ge on three days. The first of the first. The first of the sed. The seventh of the ninth, as Baktu intended.” Adam could feel the intense gazes from the adults, who then looked to Sonarot for support.

  “How dare you all foe today when it’s my sister’s birthday?” Adam asked, lifting the girl up to pepper her face with kisses. The girl was adorned in a light blue outfit, her family’s symbol embroidered against her head. Her forehead had been dabbed with blue, the vague shapes of her family’s symbol. Adam’s children also wore simir outfits, and their foreheads were dabbed in the same way, save for Larot.

  Ohe children passed along their gifts, each giving tiny ribbons, bits of smooth metal, or parts of various creatures their retives had sin years past, it was time for the adults to give their gifts. Vonda handed Lanarot a small scarf she had purchased the previous year, while Dunes passed along a shield he had bought, sihe family ons of the Rot family were an axe and shield.

  Jurot picked up the girl and swallowed her within his arms, the girl melting against his great hugging abilities.

  ‘Still a huhousand XP?’

  [Yes.]

  ‘Damn.’

  “I have brought you an axe,” Jurot said, revealing the axe he had brought for her. It was a simple looking axe, but it had been an axe which their father had gifted to him when he was still a boy.

  ‘…’ Adam blinked. He had a joke prepared when he was going to gift her aating he was her shield ohey pined about how many axes he had gifted her. ‘What else am I meant to do now?’

  Adam held the girl in his arms and thought deeply. The others knew he hadn’t fotten, supposing his gift had been an axe or shield. “Lanababy, you tell papa what you want, and he’ll get it for you.”

  “I want…” Lanarot thought for a moment. “I want to mawa.”

  Jaygak almost snorted as she covered her mouth, while the other Iyrmen smiled, a wave of light chuckles filling the air.

  “You want to marry me?”

  The girl nodded, smiling up towards her brother, cuddling up to his chest.

  “Lanarot…” Sonarot stopped upon seeing Adam’s raised hand, the young half elf frozen in pce as he thought deeply.

  Adam inhaled deeply, feeling her warmth against him, smelling the st of bread which g to the girl. “Lanababy. If I get married to you, I will no longer be your papa.”

  The girl jerked, her eyes wide as she stared up at her elder brother in shock. “No!”

  “That’s right…” Adam said, his tone more serious than it had ever been. “No more papa.”

  Lanarot gasped, before she looked towards her mother, the shock having invaded her face, before it torted as she made to cry. Adam held her closer to his chest and rocked her, feeling her shaking, sobbing body. “Smelly girl. Do you wao be your papa?”

  “Papa!” The girl ed her arms around him. “Papa!”

  “Yes, yes, I’ll be your papa, forever.” Adam assured, patting her back gently. “Oh, you poor thing.” ‘How my sister be this cute? Isn’t it illegal?’ Even though she was g, Adam couldn’t help but feel the joy within him. This was the greatest dessert one could ask for.

  “Daddy mawwy me?” Jirot asked.

  “I won’t be your daddy if I marry you, smelly girl,” Adam replied.

  Jirot also jerked before her face torted and she made to cry, only for her nana to pick her up, soothing the little girl.

  “Don’t worry, Jirot, daddy will always be your daddy,” Adam stated. ‘How my childrehis cute?’

  “Daddy…” Jarot g to his father’s shirt.

  “Yes, yes, I’m your daddy.”

  Jarot held onto his father’s arm and cuddled up to it, sug his thumb.

  “I’ll write you a letter, Lanababy. You make a magical item with your papas and then I’ll take it to the enter and they will make it for you, okay?”

  “Okay…” The girl returned back to sug her thumb as she held onto her brother’s shirt.

  Jaygak was gd Adam was about to leave, uo handle any more ge from him that day. Lokat appeared with her several aides to che the children, spending more time with Inakan than any other child. She praised them all frowing well, including little Inakan, before leaving with her fresh set of notes.

  Sonarot led Adam, Jurot, and most of the Rot children through the Iyr. They left the shared estates to an area filled with smaller buildings, with plenty of Iyrmen passing through the area between other ses of the Iyr.

  They arrived at a small, open area, where an older Iyrman was setting up a desk. He had all manner of small objects to one side, each which looked like a dark gem. He spread a rge sheet of paper over the desk, keeping the sides pinned uhick blocks of wood.

  Jurht the chairs over for them all to sit. Sonarot almost called for Jarot, but the twins both clutched their father tightly, so she allowed them to remain with the half elf.

  “Konarot, Kirot, Karot, e, sit before me,” Sonarot called, allowing Jurot to hold Lanarot, while she personally held Larot.

  The older Iyrman, who had drawhe years previous, gnced between them all. He recalled the half dragons and the goblins, but his eyes lingered on the young boy, who was certainly a hornless demon. He sketched them over the course of fifteen minutes or so, using the dark gems, before pulling the sheet away.

  Sonarot stood, beginning to lead them away. Adam carried Jirot and Jarot within his arms, barely able to refrain from kissing their faces. His face was full of pride as he beamed while carrying his twins.

  “Did you see how well they sat?” Adam asked.

  “Yes,” Jurot replied.

  “How my children be so well behaved?” Adam smiled wider, befiving in to pepper his children with more affe.

  “I sit good too,” Lanarot stated.

  “Yes,” her brothers firmed, causing the girl to smile.

  As they ehe extended family estate, the young Iyrmen swarmed the approag group. Adam smiled, pg his children down, allowing them to run towards their babo and nano. After greeting the extended Rot family, Adam settled down near Jarot and Mulrot, who doted after his children so tenderly.

  “Where’s Churot?”

  “They are w him so hard,” Jarot replied, making the face he made whehought about troubling the Great Elders.

  “Speaking of missing members, I haven’t seen granduncle randaunt about.”

  “Brother has goo train for the family. Sister is training the demons.”

  “I didn’t realise grandaunt was that strong.”

  “With Sarot gone, and the passing of our cousin, sister is sed only to me,” Jarot replied.

  ‘Damn! She was that strong?’ Adam thought. “Are you a Grandmaster?”

  “No, but it is why Tarot trains. Zirot will not allow him to take the title without als the title.”

  “What about you?”

  “With this arm and leg of mine?” Jarot replied, hoisting up little Jarot to his chest. “Even with this arm and leg of mine, I am still s I do not o cim the title.” He chuckled as he rubbed his cheek against little Jarot’s forehead.

  ‘I wonder if I beat him now,’ Adam thought. The old man was not yet a Grandmaster, shly Level 11 or 12, whereas Grandmasters were each Level 13. When Adam was Level 4, the old man had beaten him, but he had gaihe title of Expert, Level 5, soon after. Level 5 for Adam meant two things, Third Gate spells and an additional attack when he swung with his axe, though for most it was one or the other. With Wraith in hand, his sed greatest creation, Adam was sure he could match the old man.

  ‘No,’ Adam eventually relented. ‘If I had Phantom, maybe I could, but he didn’t use a shield, and he didn’t use a magical axe either.’ Adam thought back to the on he had used. Dunes’ Sword, which was still one of the best ons he had created. Even with it, he couldn’t defeat the old man, who had crushed him, even though the old man had loired and only had the single arm.

  “Babo, I mawwy you?” Little Jarot asked.

  “You must ask your nano, for she is my wife,” Jarot replied. “If we marry, she ot remain your nano, and I ot remain your babo.”

  Little Jarot pouted, before hugging his greatfather tight, ing his arms around the old man’s neck. “No…”

  ‘Are we actually reted?’ Adam thought. ‘Of course we are, since he’s my children’s greafather.’

  “Little Larot is growing well,” Mulrot said, gently brushing the boy’s cheek with the back of her finger. “Was he drawn within the portrait?”

  “He was,” Sonarot replied, exging a look with the Family Elder. They were both in an aosition, Mulrot for refusing Adam’s children at first, and Sonarot for not inf Adam of the news.

  Mulrot smiled warmly as she tio brush the boy’s cheek. “You will grow well within the Iyr, as your family before you.”

  Sonarot wondered how she would inform Adam of the issue, but she decided to leave it until it was truly firmed. She thought about how much trouble the boy was even as a babe who only slept, ate, and soiled himself. ‘He is certainly Adam’s son.’

  Larot as a baby causing as much trouble as Adam is so funny to me.

  Thank you so much for everyone for your support. I have been drafting the story while I was sleeping poorly so just know that I know where the story is going. I wonder if we'll get to THAT this year, but who knows?