‘He looks just like an Iyrman,’ Adam thought.

Ashmir sat by himself, reading a book. He was older, and of average height, with a lean, but muscular form, built by fighting daily as a Gladiator. He had long hair, that like a mane, with two braids which fell down in front of his shoulders. He had dark skin, though not quite as dark as Dunes, which was littered with scars by the battles he had faced for decades. His eyes were dark, and tired of a great number of things in life.

“It Lion King,” Taygak said, pointing at him to all the other children who had come.

Adam and Lucy were the oldest of the children who had come, and they couldn’t help but feel out of place. The entire area was full of the Mir family, though that was obviously going to be the case considering this was their family estate.

The children approached Ashmir, causing him to place down his book.

“These are the children of our families,” Shikan said, exchanging a forearm shake.

“What are you feeding your children?” Ashmir asked, looking to Adam and Lucy.

Adam smiled. “Beans on toast.” Adam shook his head at his terrible joke, before rubbing his head.

‘Beans on toast?’ Lucy grimaced, staring at Adam. ‘What kind of abomination is that?’

“Ashmir,” the Gladiator said, shaking Adam’s forearm. “I didn’t expect a Half Elf.”

“Adam, son of Fate,” Adam said, before realising how he could properly introduce himself. “I didn’t expect you to know that I was a Half Elf.”

“The beard gave it away,” the older man said.

“Ah,” Adam said, rubbing his cheek. “I was thinking about shaving recently.”

“Lucy,” Lucy said, shaking his forearm for a few seconds too long. “You’re quite the hunk.”

“Thank you.”

“Stop being weird, you’re embarrassing me in front of the Gladiator,” Adam whispered, loudly enough for most people to hear.

“Shut up.”

The children bombarded him with questions, which he answered as best as he could, before allowing them to touch his greatsword, which was easily bigger than each of them.

Adam and Lucy waited patiently for the children to be done with speaking with him before they talked to him.

“So this is Adam,” called a voice from behind.

Adam looked back to see an older Iyrman, who wore a spear on his back. He was tall, lean, and held a sharp look in his eyes as he stared at the Half Elf.

“That’s me,” Adam said. “Adam Fateson.”

Lucy threw Adam a look, raising her brow at him.

“I thought you were the son of Fate.”

“That sounds too cool for the likes of me.”

The older Iyrman did not seem impressed. “Shamir.”

“Oh,” Adam said, shaking the man’s forearm. “Good luck in your bid for Elder Wrath.”

The Iyrman bowed his head in gratitude. “I have heard much about you, Adam.”

“All good things, I hope,” Adam said, a cheeky smile on his face. It disappeared upon seeing the stern expression on Shamir’s face. “Well, since you’ve managed to get Ashmir on your side, it seems the Mir family is rising towards the heavens.”

“It is my good fortune that he was willing to join our family.”

“Yeah,” Adam replied, unsure of what to say to the old man.

“They say you are strong.”

“That’s what the kids think,” Adam said.

“Do you believe you are strong?”

“I wouldn’t say that in front of you and Ashmir.”

Shamir narrowed his eyes, but slowly nodded. “I have heard you are able to enchant.”

“I have some ability.”

“In the future I may request your service.”

“I’m always up for working, as long as I’m not working already.”

“Adam’s abilities are great,” Shikan said. “Though his words are light, his axe is heavy.”

“What axe?” Adam replied. “I don’t have an axe any more.”

“You are enchanting an axe, are you not?”

“I guess, though I probably won’t use it,” Adam said.

“You are to sell it?”

“Yeah.”

Shikan stared at Adam. ‘Selling such a fine axe?’ “Are you certain?”

“Yeah,” Adam replied. “I’m planning on making a greater enchantment in the future, with an axe I make myself.”

“You are a smith too?” Shamir asked.

“Yes. I can smith, enchant, I know some alchemy too.”

“A Nephew of many skills.”

Adam smiled. “That’s right.”

“Are you set to marry?” Shamir asked.

“No, and I don’t plan to marry any time soon.”

“We will welcome you eagerly, Adam,” the older Iyrman said.

“I refuse. I’m a Nephew of the Rot family, and I don’t intend to change that.”

“If you have a strong, handsome guy, I might join,” Lucy said.

Shamir’s eyes fell across Lucy. “You are the Demon?”

“That’s me.”

“I am uncertain if we would be willing to accept you. Are you strong?”

“Yes.”

“As strong as Adam?”

“I’m stronger than Adam,” Lucy declared.

Adam chuckled. “Don’t mind her.”

“What does that mean? I’m way stronger than you.”

“You’re not dreaming, are you? You can say that seriously in front of me when I beat you after holding back so much?”

“That was then, this is now,” Lucy said, clenching her fist. “Do you dare fight me without your magical weapons?”

“My magical weapons are a part of my strength,” Adam replied, simply. “Hey, Taygak.”

Taygak heard her name, and quickly walked up to Adam. “Yes?”

“Who is stronger? Me or Lucy?”

“Adam strong boy,” Taygak said, patting his leg gently. “Very strong.”

“See?”

“Am I strong?” Lucy asked Taygak.

Taygak looked up at the Demon girl, and sighed. She reached up and rubbed the girl’s back gently. “It okay.”

Lucy stared at the little girl who was trying to cheer her up. ‘Damn it!’

Adam chuckled. “See?”

“This doesn’t prove anything!”

“Are you calling my adorable Cousin a liar?” Adam picked Taygak up. “How dare you. Bad Lucy.”

“Lucy, bad,” Taygak confirmed, shaking her head.

“That’s not fair!”

Ashmir and Shamir stared at the duo, wondering what they were doing.

“So, you’re new to the Iyr too,” Adam said, sitting beside the Gladiator. “It’s such a wonderful place, don’t you think?”

“Very,” Ashmir replied. “I had heard rumours of the Iyr. I thought they were exaggerated, but they were not in the slightest. Some were under exaggerated.”

“Yeah,” Adam replied, sharing a drink with the man. “How are you finding it?”

“It is a good place,” he said. “They allow me to eat, sleep, and drink in peace. Sometimes I have to meet with the children and other prodigies.”

“Prodigies? Is that what I am?” Adam chuckled.

“You have some unbelievable rumours yourself,” Ashmir said. “They say you managed to defeat three Iyrmen in two days, one of them in a single blow.”

“Well, you know,” Adam said, smiling.

“Did you?”

“Did I what?”

“Defeat an Iyrman in a single blow?”

“I’ve defeated plenty of Iyrmen in a single blow. Hell, I beat an Awakened Wolf in a single blow too!” Adam laughed.

“Was it your Aunt?”

“Yes,” Adam said.

“Why did you fight?”

“I wanted to make their children magical weapons and they refused,” Adam said.

“So you forced them to accept? That is not good for business.”

“Weren’t you forced to fight?” Adam asked, raising his brow. “Anyway, I wasn’t going to sell them, I was going to gift them.”

“You were going to gift magical weapons?” Ashmir asked.

“Yes. You see those kids?” Adam motioned with his head to the children, who were now playing with the children of the estate. “I’m gifting each of them a magical weapon. The girl there, Taygak, it was her mother who I beat in a single blow. Saygak too, that’s her little brother. Then there’s Turot, my Cousin, whose parents I beat.”

“Why are you gifting them magical weapons?”

“I want to make sure they’ll be okay in the future, and I want them to remember me in case something happens to me.”

“I thought I had morbid thoughts,” Ashmir said. “I was told there was a new Nephew in the Iyr who was making waves. I wanted to meet you, see what you were like.”

“Am I everything you imagined?”

“No,” Ashmir said. “I did not know what kind of person you’d be. I heard the rumours. You were rude, arrogant, a joker.”

Adam smiled. “They weren’t wrong.”

“No,” Ashmir said. “They were, a little. The Iyrmen seem so different. So, otherworldly. They don’t seem like people, not like you or I.”

“That’s because you see the serious Iyrmen. You should meet Jaygak, and all the illusions you have about Iyrmen will disappear.” Adam laughed.

“I did not imagine that I would settle down in the Iyr and have children. I fought and fought, and now…” He sighed. “This place makes me wonder what all that fighting was for. I could have left and joined the Iyr earlier.”

“Could you have left?” Adam asked.

Ashmir smiled. “It would have been hard to stop me. I would have had a few hours head start, though I would have been tired.” He thought about how likely it would have been to escape the army. “No, perhaps not.”

“Enjoy yourself,” Adam said. “The Iyr has brought you here to take good care of you. Get married, have a kid or ten, and if you ever feel the need, help the Iyr with your sword.”

“I will be married in Dawnval,” he said. “Will you come?”

“Me?” Adam asked, raising his brows in surprise. “I mean, yeah, sure.”

“I would like someone… normal.”

“Me? Normal?” Adam shook his head, looking to Lucy, whose eyes were raised in surprise by the word too. “That’s the first time someone’s called me normal.”

Ashmir chuckled. “You are more normal than these Iyrmen at least.”

“I’ll see if I can make it,” Adam said. “Can I invite my family?”

“Bring whoever you please,” Ashmir said. “When my wedding comes, I hope you’ll offer some entertainment.”

Adam shrugged his shoulders. “We’ll see. Have you been married before? Do you have children already?”

“I have one child, though I don’t know where they are,” he said. “I believe they were sent to a temple, but I’m not sure if they are dead or alive.

“Do you know their name?” Adam asked. “It’s probably your best bet in finding them, if you want to.”

“Adam,” Shikan called, motioning with his head. “Come. We must leave.”

Adam threw Shikan a questioning look. “Okay?” Adam hoisted himself up.

“Their name was Morn,” Ashmir said. “That’s what I requested to the mother. Morn, for morning.”

Shikan sighed.

Adam turned to look at the Gladiator. “You what?”

“What?” Ashmir replied.

Adam threw Lucy a look, before Shikan placed a hand on their shoulders.

“Come,” the Iyrman said. “We have to go.”