“Is me, nano?” Jirot asked, leaning in to find her name, her tiny hands pressing against the paper, the saliva ohumb beginning to soak into the paper.

  Gangak quickly grabbed the girl’s wrist, bringing it up to kiss the back of her hand before bringing it to the girl’s lips so she could suck against it once more. “It is not you.”

  “I not the same Jirot, because I am Jirot, and I am not the same,” the girl said, before sug her thumb quietly.

  “That is right,” Gangak said, brushing the girl’s hair, revealing her rge forehead, nuzzling against it.

  Little Jarot began to twitch as sleepiness began to take to him, nap time having approached far too quickly that day. Gangak pced the pair down in the er, and as Jirot reached up for her hand, the woman smiled. She sat beside them, allowing them to hold onto her finger as they fell asleep, before she slipped away from them and their vice grip.

  Konarot sat beside her grandmother as the woman knitted her a bhe little girl staring down at the pictures of all manner of creatures, her eyes sing against their features. Kirot panted softly as she ran around the courtyard, her eyes darting from side to side as she fought against imaginary creatures. Karot y nearby, staring up at the sky, his thoughts upon the m pe, which he had eaten with shredded nuts. He preferred fish, but he supposed he didn’t mind pe, especially when he was allowed to eat salya between bites.

  Meanwhile, their you sibling remained iended family estate, where their greatfather showed him off.

  “You see?” the old one armed Jarot stated, waiting expetly.

  Otkan blinked, her eyes falling down towards the baby, who was fast asleep. “Yes.”

  “Only my greatson grow so well,” he stated, as though it were fact.

  Otkan wasn’t sure if she should mention the fact all babies grow so quickly when they are so young, but she decided to sip her tea instead. ‘Needs more honey.’

  Larot slept as he always did, fussing so little for such a young boy. He could begin to see ahings more clearly, though the brain of a baby still caused him trouble. He was uo resist the call to eat, the moment a teet ressed up against his lips, he would suckle as though he to survive. He did, of course, to survive, but he didn’t like that o. Although, he did like to hear the sounds of Jarot’s grunts as the old man worked out, which helped soothe him to sleep.

  They reminded him of the sounds of battle.

  Meanwhile, the demon’s father sat opposite the demon’s uncle, with questions abound.

  “Sohtu’s story is one of the greatest,” Jurot stated, crossing his arms as he thought of the tale.

  “How e no oold me about the tale?” Adam asked. “I feel like it’s a really important tale.”

  Jurot thought deeply. “Zadhin cshed against several Iyrmen, but we have not spoken of their tales. There are many more tales in these nds, we have not yet been able to speak of the other tales in Aswadasad.”

  “Lord Zadhin,” Vonda corrected.

  “Sohtu is Sohtu, Zadhin is Zadhin,” Jurot replied. “Zadhin was the general. Sohtu is the Divine.”

  Vonda frowned slightly, but she did not tiue the point.

  “There are many tales you have not heard,” Jurot said. “There are thousands. If you are to hear one each day from start to finish, you would not have heard more thahousand and five hundred, even if we did not adventure.”

  “You’re right about that, I guess…” Adam wondered how many eous secrets the Iyrmen held from their different stories. “Do you have anything where…” Adam paused. ‘Does that even make sense?’

  Jurot waited for his brother to tinue.

  “Do you have any stories where, you know, you have this thing that the Aldishmen would never believe, but for the Iyr, or the Iyrmen, it’s pretty normal?”

  “Yes,” Jurot replied.

  “Like what?”

  “It was my aor whht the lesser rukhs to the nd.”

  “ht.”

  “It was Jarot?” Vonda asked.

  “Yes.”

  “I ’t believe that old man brought rukhs to the nd when he should have been looking after his greatchildren,” Adam joked.

  Jurot was surprised Adam had taken this long to make a joke involving his children. ‘Yrowing up well, Adam.’

  “I feel like the followers of Lady Erudite should send someoo listen to all your stories and write them down,” Adam said.

  “Our stories are freely shared to all those ask.”

  “Yeah, but not a lot of people get to meet Iyrmen.”

  “Many do.”

  “Yeah, but they don’t want to bother you, you know?”

  Jurot shrugged. “If they do not ask, they will not hear the tale.”

  “Anyway, about Sohtu, what does he do exactly?” Adam asked. “Baktu is the Lord of Death, so I assumed he would lord over that domain.”

  “Sohtu cims the souls for Baktu,” Jurot replied.

  “He also ses the souls before they are sent to Lord Sozain,” Vonda added.

  Jurot nodded. “His influence is small in this world, but he is important.”

  “Since his influence is so small, the undead keep rising,” Jaygak said, tossing a nut into her mouth, chewing it slowly. “Even if we like Sohtu, his influence being so small makes it fun.”

  “Oh? So that’s why the undead e up so much? It’s because his influence is too small?”

  Vonda cleared her throat. “Lord Zadhin’s role is a most difficult one, and there are many which do not pay him proper respects, thus the vicious cycle of a ck of resped influence begins and tinues, each fuelling the other.”

  “He sounds so important, though.”

  “Yes,” the Iyrmen and priest agreed.

  “Some vilge elders may pray to him oneone has passed,” Vonda said, pausing for the ti moment before tinuing, “but funeral rites have been in the domain of the Priests of Death and Lord Sozain since before eveime of Kal Bkvatr.”

  “The Priests of Death have not given up their right,” Jurot added, nodding his head. “Baktu watches over the souls of we Iyrmen.”

  “So the undead are still going to be an issue, eh?” Adam shook his head. “What about the outbreaks?”

  “It is Nahtu’s rage.”

  “Lady Gale weeps for the nd which we have destroyed and exploited for our own wants,” Vonda said, g her hands together as though to pray.

  “Also, lots of fun,” Jaygak said, tossing a nut babsp;

  “You’re talking mad smack, Jaygak.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means…” Adam thought about how to describe it. “You know, like you’re speaking like you’re a big shot, a boss, when you’re not.”

  “I’m aive of the United Kindom,” Jaygak replied.

  Adam blinked. “Oh yeah.” Adam furrowed his brows. “That ’t be right. We o speak with the President, the Enter, and the Directors.”

  “My father is one of the Directors,” Jaygak replied, smirking at him.

  “Ah. ism, cssic.”

  “It’s all ism, Adam.”

  “What about me?”

  “Nephew of the Rot family?”

  “I do good work.”

  “How many times have I, a devilkin, gotten us into trouble?”

  “You’re not a devilkin, you’re an Iyrman, that doesn’t t.”

  “You should know what my horns mean for me in these nds, Adam.”

  “I was just joking and you had to make it all serious.”

  Jaygak smirked, eating more of her nuts. “Plus, it was the Enter who put me in this position, and has guara with Great Moon.”

  “That they have, I suppose,” Adam replied, crossing his arms, refraining from smirking. “Anyway, could I ask for your help, Jaygak?”

  “What do you need from this Executive who doesn’t deserve her permission?”

  “I want to buy some jewellery fifts.”

  “Gifts for who?”

  “You mean gifts for whom?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Me her.”

  Vonda smiled, watg the pair banter between one another for a short while lohough Jaygak eventually releo assist him in his goals.

  “Right,” Adam said, sitting back down, though he had made to go to the market. “We should probably figure out what to do . I don’t think we have anything we o get done immediately, or around these parts, so I was thinking we head east so Sir Vonda bee a det person, and…”

  “And?” Jaygak asked.

  “And… that’s the most important thing, I think?” Adam didn’t want to give away what Dunes wao dht, I need some really erial for some ons too.”

  “We could speak with the Duchess for that,” Jaygak said.

  “So this is why you’re aive,” Adam whispered.

  Jaygak threateo toss a nut towards him, but instead of wasting a good nut, she tossed it into her mouth. ‘Should I buy nicer jewellery?’

  As the days passed in Red Oak, Adam spent much of his time rexing, assisting the guild with any identification of magical items they needed, and allowing the porters and farmers to earn while doing nothing.

  ‘Adam isn’t w us to death?’ Lucy thought, rexing in her bed oernoon. ‘Having children has made him soft…’ She thought for a long moment. ‘I should buy them some gifts too.’

  “I not the same Jirot, because I am Jirot, and I am not the same,”

  ...

  She's right?