Adam spent the rest of the week either playing with Lanarot and enjoying the festival, including drinking with Jurot and the rest, enchanting, or learning spells for his spellbook. He preferred the evening, where people wound down with a nice drink and a lovely chat, rather than the loudness of the afternoon, where so many people were eager to dance, sing, and fight. He had even spotted more than that, but had pulled Lanarot away from such lecherous activities.

“I can’t believe you didn’t get into any trouble,” Jaygak grumbled. “I swore that you were going to start some trouble.”

“Trouble? Little ol’ me?” Adam asked. “Isn’t there another day of the festival? I might start trouble then.”

“I can only hope,” Jaygak said.

Adam brushed the back of Jay’a, rubbing the back of her ear as she cuddled up beside him. She panted softly and lapped up at his face with her harsh tongue, before Adam pulled his head back, but her sister, Kit’a, came to lick up the rest of his face.

“I didn’t expect for you to seduce our babies while we were gone,” Jaygak grumbled.

“It was easy enough,” Adam said. “Besides, don’t they also love Kitool’s mother more than you?”

“Don’t remind me!” Jaygak cried. She had once called for her little Jay’a, but so had Citool’s mother, who the pup had rushed towards. “Is this what it feels like to have children? I’ll never have children if they just betray me.”

Adam smiled. “Even if they do betray you, aren’t they so cute?”

Jaygak glanced over to Jay’a. “She is.” Jaygak pulled the pup to her, who first struggled, before Jaygak cooed into the pup’s ear and brushed along her fur. “You’re such a cute little baby, aren’t you?”

Kitool gently brushed along her own Kit’a’s fur. “That sword you enchanted, are you selling it to the Iyr?”

“Yeah, I already have,” Adam said. “It wasn’t that good, just a basic enchantment, but it was sold off for eight hundred.”

“Eight hundred? Aren’t basic enchantments each worth a thousand?”

“A thousand, eight hundred, not a big deal. I just wanted the money, and the Iyr was willing to buy it off me quick.”

Kitool bowed her head. “If that is acceptable.”

“Plus, providing a twenty percent discount, how kind of me. I bet the Iyrmen who hate me will be so furious.” Adam smiled. “They’ll say something like I was using their shrines, so of course I should do that much in order to make themselves feel better.”

“Does it bother you?”

“A little,” Adam said. “Only because it might end up being an issue in the future.”

“We know what you are truly like, Adam,” Kitool said. “You do not have to worry about them.”

Adam smiled. “Yeah. I suppose you’re right. As long as you’re all my friends, I don’t really care. Other than maybe it looking bad on the Rot family.”

“The Rot family can deal with it easily enough,” Jaygak said. “You don’t have to worry about them.”

“How can I not worry when they’re my family?” Adam asked, reaching for a bottle of wine, sipping it.

“Are you still leaving soon?” Jaygak asked. “Do you want us to come along?”

“We’ll be fine,” Adam said. “The three of us are pretty much solidified as Experts, and I want to see it, the strength of an entire party which is made up of Experts.”

“We’re not that far off either,” Jaygak admitted, quietly, glancing at the other Iyrmen who sat some ways away. “Kitool and I can feel it.”

“Oh? Why are you whispering?”

“They don’t know,” Jaygak said. “We haven’t told anyone.”

Adam wondered if it was some kind of joke. “Why not?”

“I want to surprise my mother and father.”

“Speaking of which, where is your mother?” Adam asked.

“Working,” Jaygak said. “Work which requires many months. My mother, Citool’s father, and Shikan’s mother too.”

“Alright. I suppose it’s work that can’t be told to me.”

“We do not know either,” Kitool admitted. “These are not matters we concern ourselves with.”

“Aren’t you curious?”

“No,” Kitool said.

“Obviously,” Jaygak replied.

“What about you?” Adam asked, turning to Jurot, who was slowly sipping some watered down alcohol.

“There are many secrets in the Iyr, even to us, Adam. Everything I must know, I know.” Jurot shrugged his shoulders. “I must be worthy of the knowledge before I am given it.”

“Sometimes, Jurot, I forget how cool you are.”

Jurot nodded.

Omen: 2, 20

“Aoo! Bababa! Ioo!” Lanarot shouted excitedly, waving her fists in the air as she bounced on Adam’s lap. She pointed at the fighting Iyrmen. “Babaeioo!”

“Yeah, I think you’re right,” Adam said, watching as the Orcish Iyrman and the Devilkin faced off, steel singing against steel, glaive against greatsword.

“Eeeh, baba!”

“Good point, I didn’t think about that,” Adam replied.

“Ooh! Oohaaah!”

“Huh,” Adam replied, rubbing his chin and narrowing his eyes. “I never would have thought about that.”

The Devilkin with the glaive struck down the Orcish Iyrman with the greatsword, who flexed his muscles and leapt upwards, before the Devilkin brought down the Orc once more.

“You can understand her?” Jurot asked, looking to his brother and sister.

“No, not at all,” Adam replied, simply. He picked Lanarot up and held her close to his chest. “You’re such a little smarty pants, aren’t you? Aren’t you?” He rubbed his cheek up against her face, causing her to squirm before pulling away. He bounced her gently on his lap, barely moving her up and down, which calmed her down.

“Then why are you talking to her?” Jurot asked.

“Why not?”

Jurot wasn’t sure how to respond.

“You are great at taking care of children,” Sonarot said, taking her daughter and wiping her face clean from all the saliva and drool. “Are you planning on getting married soon and having a few children of your own?”

Adam threw a look to Sonarot. “One day.”

“Do you have anyone in mind?”

Adam narrowed his eyes. “Not really. I don’t want to make Lanarot jealous.”

“What of Entalia?”

“What about her?”

“Were you not interested in her?”

“I’m into Dragons, but the age difference is too high. Plus, she’s a Queen, and I don’t want to become a King, or a Grand Prince, or whatever it is.”

“I will find someone for you. Cirot and Sirot, perhaps?” Sonarot asked.

“Aunt, seriously?”

Sonarot brushed his hair before pulling him to her chest. After all, soon he’ll be gone, along with her Jurot. “Enjoy the last day of the festival.” She planted a kiss atop his head, and did the same for Jurot.

“Yeah,” Adam replied.

“Adam is interested in Mara,” Jurot said. “Lucy’s friend.”

“We will welcome her,” Sonarot said.

Adam coughed quietly. “Since it’s my last day, I’ll spend it with Lanababy.” Adam picked the girl up and blew a raspberry into her neck. “Jurot, you should play with her too.”

“There is no need. You may play with her.” Jurot picked up some friend bread, tearing it in half before eating it, popping in some cheese he had found earlier that day.

Adam narrowed his eyes. ‘Damn. I should have focused more on that.’

When evening came, Jarot had come too. Jaygak pulled Churot onto her lap and played with his hair and horns, speaking with him in their tongue. Raygak also played with Churot.

“You are leaving tomorrow?” Jarot asked, bringing some wine.

“Yeah,” Adam said, sipping some of the wine before spitting it out. “What the…” He spat out the rest of the wine and coughed. It was the sourest thing he had ever tasted.

“Do not spit it out,” Jarot grumbled. “Rajin brewed this for us.”

“What is it?”

“The best kind of wine,” Jarot said.

Jurot drank it, wincing, but smiling. “Twice in one week? We are very lucky.”

Adam placed it down. “No thanks.”

“You should savour it while you can,” Jarot said. “You will not experience this again for another year.”

“I’m okay with not drinking any of this ever again.” Adam handed it to Jurot.

“Rajin will not be pleased,” Jarot said.

Adam shrugged his shoulders. “You’re not here to see me spit out wine, are you?”

“Can I not enjoy some wine with my grandchildren before they leave during Nightval?” Jarot asked.

Adam rolled his eyes. “I’d rather spend my time with my adorable baby sister than you.”

“Do not take too long,” Jarot said. “She will miss you.”

“I don’t know how long we’ll be.”

“It is dangerous to leave during Nightval without a plan.”

“Jurot will make the plan, since he’s most familiar with Nightval,” Adam said.

Jarot pat his grandson’s head. “That is right. You must lead well, Jurot.”

“I will,” Jurot said, nodding his head.

“Ah,” Adam said. “Hey, old man, do you know of a party called Red Hawk?”

“Red Hawk?” Jarot asked. “No.”

“They’re a party which was made after someone met you,” Adam said. “He had one arm, just like you, heavily scarred. What was his name? George?”

“Jorge,” Jurot said.

“Oh?” Jarot said. “What a small world.”

“You used a red axe and a red shield?” Adam asked.

“That I did. It was difficult to see the blood against it, and it was harder to clean.”

“Jarot, son of Varot,” Adam said. Adam wondered why Jarot was here, but perhaps he really was here just to have a drink and to chat with his grandkids. “What was your father like?”

Jarot smiled. “He was a great man.”