Chương 1598: [1503] – Y07.003 – First Rays of Dawnval III

A shadow loomed over the silver scaled triplets, their tails swaying behind them excitedly. He was tall, pale, his hair silvered by time, his well worn breastplate worn well, his dark eyes stern, the blade at his side neatly clinging to his side. A large cloth was wrapped around him, hiding a bundle upon his back.

"Babo," the triplets called, smiling up towards him.

"You have grown so much," Dogek said, the Iyrman standing as though a rod was glued from his shoulders to his hips.

"We are so big now," Konarot confirmed, her siblings nodding their heads, for they were a whole six years old, as old as their aunt. Dogek reached down, rubbing their short silver hair, which had grown over the last month, but had been neatly trimmed earlier that morning thanks to their grandmother, the daughter of his own brother.

"I have brought you gifts." The triplets eyes fell to the large cloth upon his back, which he deftly undid, revealing three swords, each as long as his own, not meant for the children now, but for when they were a decade older. He was just about to unsheathe them when an oppressive force tickled the back of his neck, the sound of metal striking the earth threateningly.

"They are Rot," snarled the Mad Dog, his fist clenched tight, allowing his anger to rise, but not to overwhelm him. Dogek remained silent, his hands still clenched around the sheathed blade, the pair glaring between one another. It had been a few years since they had clashed blades, but a one armed and one legged Mad Dog did not threaten him as much as he had once done so in their youth.

"Oh!" called a voice, the triplets darting past their greatuncle to greet him.

"What brings you here?"

"I brought gifts for the children," Dogek said, his heart wounded by the half elf's words, though he was certain the half elf didn't mean to.

"Oh my! Did you hear that? Even though your babo is so busy with all his duties, he has come to give you gifts. Oh my, this babo of yours, who is busier even than your father, he has come to see you, and he has brought such lovely gifts, what do we say to babo?"

"Thank you, babo," the triplets said, not noticing just how much their greatuncle was currently in great discomfort, for he was able to hide it well, unlike their other greatuncle, who had arrived but a moment later, and had been annoyed he had to wait, but the bald Iyrman was busy trying not to laugh.

"Konarot, Kirot, Karot, I have brought you a gift too," Malfev said, for though he was a member of the Fev family, just like how Dogek was their greatuncle, he, too, was their greatuncle. He was old, though looked much younger than any of their babos and nanos, tall and lean. His head was shaved smooth, his thick moustache and beard as white as snow, and he wore a gentleness upon his face that hid his great delight at his grandnephew putting that damned Dogek in his place for daring to give his gifts before him.

"Babo!" the triplets called, rushing over to hug his legs, unlike how they would greet Duteous, who always held some distance. Dogek could feel it, the aura from Malfev, who was poking fun of him assuredly. Even so, Duteous was not so shameless as to bring it up, for he deserved this much. He stepped to one side, towards one of his grandnephews, though paused, first reaching over to place a hand upon Adam, some might say he, too, was his grandnephew.

"Happy birthday."

"Thank you, granduncle," Adam replied, flushing slightly, as the old man then began to greet Jurot, Chosen, who was eating salya, then, finally Tanagek.

"Happy birthday, Tanagek."

"Thank you, granduncle," Tanagek replied, feeling a slight sense of strangeness.

"What a beautiful bracelet."

"Thank you," Tanagek replied, furrowing his brows. He was about to explain it was a gift from the triplets that morning, but it was only then he realised how strange the situation was, for Dogek, that Dogek, that rigid, inflexible granduncle of his, was speaking such soft words. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

'Granduncle, haven't you become so cute,' Adam thought, letting out a soft, satisfied sigh.

"Come, let us prepare for school," Vonda finally said, wiping her children's faces clean.

"Babo, you will walk us to school?" Jirot asked, glancing up towards Dogek.

"Why do you need to ask him? I will take you!" the old, one armed, one legged Jarot grumbled. Jirot blinked, smirking slightly, but as she thought about causing her greatfather trouble, she decided against it, since it was her mother's birthday, not because it was her father's, but her mother's.

"You can take kakas and papas, okay, babo?"

"Okay," Duteous replied.

"Since my greatdaughter has spoken…" the old Jarot huffed, peeking down towards his greatson, who was named after him. The boy smiled so brightly, and so Jarot decided to let Dogek live this day, so he dared to think, even though the last time they fought, his heart full of a greater fury, he hadn't even been able to see the Gek family's techniques before he took to a knee.

"Should I take you to school then?" Adam asked Virot.

"No!" Virot replied, furrowing her brows.

"Why not?"

"No!"

"…"

"Mummy!" Virot called, reaching up to her mother's hand.

"Mummy take Virot!"

"Virot, you do not have school," Vonda said. The girl blinked, and twitched as though she had been slapped, turning her head towards her father. The girl's face contorted as she made to cry, for surely falling for her father's stupidity was much worse than being slapped. Thankfully, her elder sister held the girl, instantly stopping her from crying.

'What am I to do?' Jirot thought, brushing Virot's hair gently, planting a kiss upon the girl's forehead.

'My sister is too cute…' Adam ended up greeting each of his children by picking them up and kissing their foreheads, starting from the youngest to the eldest, and not just his children, but his cousins too, each of whom had waited patiently. Finally, he spotted Lanarot, who also wanted to greet her brother. Adam thought to tease her, but as he thought of it, she was already in his arms, and he was kissing the side of her head.

"Lanarot, have fun at school."

"School is not for fun, school is for learning," Lanarot joked, hugging her brother tighter, though surrendered him to greet her other eldest brother, who held her close, and then carried her to her school.

'I guess I should go to the business?' Adam thought, though his eyes darted to the side, where he spotted a chonky girl, blue of skin, even larger than his troublesome daughter. The girl yawned, rubbing her eyes, but twitched as she saw the familiar face, the girl smiling so brightly, retreating into her mother's bosom.

"You, you chonky girl, you can't bully your brother today, it's his birthday!" Adam grumbled, reaching over to pinch her cheek lightly, the girl squealing with such delight, until finally she held out her arms.

"Papa!"

"Amal!" Adam lifted the girl up within his arms, grunting, for though she wasn't even a third of his triplet's age, she was almost as large.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Keh!"

"Lucky for you, papa hasn't eaten yet, so should we eat together?" Adam asked. It was obvious who Amal favoured the most within the entire Iyr, and it was obvious why, as the pair cuddled together as they ate their pizza, Amal accepting all the food from her brother's fingers, including the vast swaths of fruit.

"You should eat too," Gangak, his red skinned grandmother said, though she was understanding, for there were times when even she lost herself in the moment, feeding the girl far too much food, for her tiny was a void that led to another realm.

"Amal, sorry, papa needs to eat too," Adam said, causing the girl to grab a piece of apple, bringing it up to Adam's lips. The half elf bit into the apple, though the girl tried to force the entire piece into his mouth, almost choking her brother, but he forgave her, for the girl was too sweet, too adorable, far too chonky.

"I will take her to bathe and change," Gangak said, the woman lifting the girl up, although also pretended to grunt. The girl squealed, clapping her hands, cackling lightly, though not quite in the way of her greatdaughter.

'I should have claimed you as my own…' Adam stood, glancing aside to those who remained, a handful of his uncles and aunts, as well as the younger cousins, who were not yet five years old, although they would begin their own short class later. The half elf greeted each of them, before heading out.

"Adam," a red skinned Iyrman called, stepping out after the half elf.

"Are you heading to the business?"

"I am."

"I will join you," the Iyrman said, though as he stepped out, he heard a set of footsteps follow after him, and his chonky daughter grabbed his hand. By the time he realised she had grabbed his hand, the Iyrman realised it was already too late for him, so he accepted the fact his daughter was going to come along.

"Maygak, you can't bully your father like this," Adam said. The girl blinked, turning to look up to her father, the girl smirking slightly, and thus, she forced her way to follow them to the nearby estate, where the business members had settled.

"I should have disciplined Jaygak properly," Jogak said, letting out a soft sigh.

"It's Elder Jaygak now, uncle." Jogak let out a soft sigh, but as Adam peeked to his side, he could see the wide smile upon the Iyrman's face.

'It seems the Gak family is already on the rise,' the half elf dared to think. Adam had yet to recall the feats Jaygak had managed during their adventures together, for, like Adam, Jaygak, too, pretended she was a fool.