Chương 1230: [1148] - Y06.048 - Passing Nights III

Konarot peeked up at her papo, who held his finger curled over his lip, just like her baba. She mirrored the Iyrman unknowingly, seeing into his intense gaze as the Iyrman stared down at the board before him. The Iyrman had originally found himself cornered, but with a few risky plays, he had managed to earn back his position, and held a slight lead. However, he was uncertain of how to progress forward.

"It was a good game," Tanagek said, holding out his hand, and the girl took it to draw, since she was pretty sure within a couple of rounds he would have been able to swing the lead further within his favour. Kirot held Tanagek's hand, leading him to the park, since he promised to play with each of them individually, though Konarot and Karot followed behind.

Tanagek tossed the ball to Kirot, and immediately the girl tossed it to her brother, the thought not even passing within her mind that she could play without her siblings.

'They all wish to remain beside one another…' Tanagek wondered what kind of effects that would have upon their future when they would need to split apart, but he decided to leave the matter to their parents and the Rot family. Konarot was about to toss the ball to Tanagek when she stopped, sniffing the air, and she turned to face the direction of the familiar scent, her tail swaying excitedly.

"I returned but could not find you," Tonagek said, reaching down to rub the girl's head, doing the same for her sister and brother.

"I wished to play with them today," Tanagek replied.

"Are you having fun with your papo?"

"Yes," the triplets replied, their tails still swaying as they embraced their baba.

'In the Iyr, are any children as affectionate as them?' Tanagek thought, as the five began to toss the ball to one another. It was finally Karot's turn, and the boy asked for Tonagek to read them a story, having completely forgotten that Tanagek was the one who promised to play with them, but the older Iyrman couldn't refuse. Karot sat upon his baba's lap, following the words with his eyes, while Konarot and Karot cuddled beside their papo.

'No. No children are as affectionate as you.'

"Kako!" Jirot rushed towards Kitool, with Jarot following after her, followed closely by Jitool, who almost tackled her sister.

"Kaka…" Jitool called, smiling innocently. Kitool dropped down to hug each of them in a single embrace.

"What is the matter?"

"How you can leave your kaka alone like this, kako?" Jirot held up a finger.

"She miss you so much, so you must play with her!"

"…"

"Do you understand?" Jirot asked, crossing her arms.

"I understand."

"Seriously, kako. Your sister is so cute, so how can you leave her alone like this?" Jirot asked, only confirming whose daughter she was.

"Yes. I am sorry." Kitool lifted Jitool up, pulling the girl's head to her chest, brushing along the back of her head.

"I forgive you just this once, okay?"

"Thank you."

"What can I do? I am so magananimus."

"Yes…" Kitool replied, while the girl sighed as though she was so exhausted by her kindness.

"Do you wish to play with me too?" Jirot gasped, the sparkle in her eyes revealing she really was just a little girl, and she almost tackled her aunt, grabbing her by her hand.

"Since you have said it, we must play now!" Little Jarot also beamed with delight up towards his aunt, defeating the woman, who had just come back from her duties for the day.

'I am glad I bathed before I returned,' Kitool thought, allowing the twins to guide her away, so they could play. The twins took her to the nearby estate, where they went to play with the the Fev family, and by the time they returned back to the shared estate of their family, a familiar face had coincidentally arrived. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Babo!" Jirot went to tackle her babo, the bald Iyrman brushing through his thick beard innocently.

"Ho! My Jirot, my Jarot, you have returned? I was about to leave!" Malfev hoisted the pair up, embracing them almost as tightly as they embraced him, the bundles of joy marking his skin with how hard they were holding him.

"Leave?" the older Jarot growled.

"You only just arrived! How dare you try to leave before greeting my greatchildren!"

"I did not wish to intrude."

"If you did not wish to intrude, you should not have come!" Jarot clenched his fist, but Jirot squirmed out of Malfev's grasp and hugged her babo.

"That is right! You should have come to me first!"

"Babo! How can you be so greedy?" Jirot asked, frowning with disappointment.

"You are Iyrman, so you must share with other Iyrmen too."

"How can I share you?" Jarot peppered them each with kisses, as little Jarot also cuddled up to the old man's side. Indeed, his greatchildren were too precious to share. Malfev peeked aside to Kitool, who he had stolen the children away, only for them to be stolen away by their greatfather. Even so, the old man smiled, waiting for the children to return to him, his heart full of warmth.

Upon Adam's return in the late afternoon, the half elf, after allowing his children to swarm him, then his cousins, settled himself with his wife, letting out a long sigh.

"Working hard, darling?" Vonda asked, holding Virot against her shoulder, the girl sucking away lightly at her dummy.

"I'm working so hard, my darling" Adam replied, leaning down to nuzzle his son's nose.

"Do you hear that? Daddy is working hard, so you need to reward him, right?" Xarot, who clutched at his teddy tight, turned his attention to his father. The boy sucked on his dummy twice before smiling up towards his father.

"What a great reward!" Adam planted a firm kiss on his son's forehead, pulling him closer against his chest, while the boy cooed and cuddled up towards his father.

"I feel like I can take on the world!"

"Adam, please do not…" Vonda replied, and though she was joking, even Adam could hear the realness within her plea.

"Conquering the world is dangerous business," Adam replied, waving his hand dismissively at the idea.

"I mean, if the Reavers can't do it, there's no way I can, right?"

"Can they not?" Vonda asked, smiling warmly, though within the back of her mind, she knew the Reavers were going to cause great havoc across the land. Her instincts told her that such creatures brought great death upon the world, and it surely had already begun.

"I'm pretty sure," Adam replied, reaching out to intertwine his fingers with hers. He noted his wife's eyes looking through space and he brushed his thumb along her knuckles gently.

"If they start acting up, I'll head to the front lines to deal with them! You don't have to worry, since I might not be very smart, but that just means I'm strong enough to not be smart!" Vonda sighed, turning her head away from her husband, rubbing her cheek against Virot's. The girl mumbled to her mother through her dummy, and as she tried to take it off, Vonda held a finger up to it, before smiling at the girl, who smiled and giggled in return.

"Popo," Damrot called, the boy shuffling up to the half elf, holding up his cup.

"Joos."

"Okay, sure," Adam said, standing up with a groan as though he were an old man, while Xarot stirred, looking up at his father questioningly at first until he broke into a gentle fit of giggles. Damrot followed the half elf, and as they passed his mother, the boy smiled.

"Mama…"

"Where are you going?" Pam asked, reaching out to brush her son's cheek.

"Joos." Pam smiled, motioning to Adam.

"Go on then."

"Mama…" Pam sighed, but followed her son as the four made their way to the Rot home, and the half elf began to pour the boy a drink from the casket, then he remembered to chill both. Damrot drank it greedily, the juice dripping all across his face and his front, the boy letting out a satisfied sigh.

"Joos!" Damrot held out his cup with both hands.

"What do we say?" Adam asked.

"Joos peas!"

"Our Damrot is so polite!" Adam reached down for the cup, pouring a drink for the boy once more, before pouring himself and Pam a drink too.

"How have you been? I hear Vonda's working so you're stuck with all the children."

"Since pa's baking, I don't have much else to do," Pam admitted, sipping the juice slowly, the chill soothing her mouth.

"I'm just glad I can help."

"Yeah." Adam shrugged his shoulders, as though he understood her plight, while Pam did her best to keep her expression neutral.

"I hear the Reavers are a big deal, but you don't have to worry in the Iyr."

"I'm not worried, but… we don't have much family, but I do have a few cousins in Red Oak. I'm sure they'll be fine, since Red Oak always been fine."

"Did you sell off the bakery?"

"We let someone else buy the license," Pam replied.

"Oh?" Adam raised his brows.

"I guess that's how that works? I really should have known that. Well, if you need anything, let Jurot or I know. I'm sure you will, but… just in case you're as stupid as me and you think you're imposing, or something like that, just letting you know, you're not. As a husband, Jurot wants to look good for you, and as his brother, I want to help him as much as he's helped me. So… don't be shy."

"I won't," Pam replied, taking a moment to stare at the half elf, who quickly returned to dote his son and nephew in his affection.

"Let's bring Virot and kako some joos as well, yeah?"

'No… he wouldn't…' Pam thought, burying the doubt deep within his heart.

"Now that I think about it, where's Monarot?" Adam said, holding a cup of juice as he walked over to his wife, it over. Vonda glanced aside to Damrot, as Adam held the cup up to her lips.

"That's yours, Virot's is…" Adam looked down at the boy, who wore an innocent smile on his face up towards his aunt and uncle, his clothing freshly wet from drinking up all of the juice meant for Virot. Tricks: Trick Meanwhile Jurot stood alongside Tanagek and Chosen, while Monarot stared up at her father. She was on all fours, and she tried to punt herself forward to crawl up to her father.

"My daughter is trying so well," Jurot said, repeating the words of his grandfather.

"She does," Tanagek replied, wondering if Jurot had come all this way just to show off his daughter trying to crawl.

"You are doing so well, Monarot!" Chosen called out, clapping his hands lightly, certain Jurot had come all this way just to show off his daughter trying to crawl.