[906] – Y04.006 – Gifts Given

[906] – Y04.006 – Gifts Given

“No, I suhleep with mommy,” Jirot said, crawling over to Vonda, climbing onto the young woman. Little Jarot also dropped down beside the woman, coyly cuddling up beside his mother.

“I want to sleep with mommy too,” Adam declared.

“Adam...” Vonda flushed lightly, her tan skin turning a deep crimson.

“We’re newly weds so we should be spending time together.”

“No,” Jirot replied, pointing a finger to her father. “My mommy.”

“Jibaby, I’ve let you bully me all this time, but on this point I can’t budge.”

Jirot remained pointing at her father, her finger like a blade poised to strike if need be. She had no idea what he was talking about, but she was confident in her want to sleep with her mother that night.

“It’s not mommy, it’s mummy! In this household we say it correctly, alright?”

“No!”

“You can’t sleep with mummy unless you call her mummy.”

“Mommy.”

“Mummy.”

“Muhmee.”

“Okay,” Adam replied, surrendering to his most troublesome daughter. ‘I guess Vonda and I can have our fun another time...’ Adam’s cheeks turned a deep crimson as he fell into his thoughts, only to be dragged away by a tug at his side. “Yes, Konababy?”

“I sleep with daddy.”

“Okay, okay.” Adam and Vonda finished preparing their children for bed, before they glanced between one another. Adam’s lips twitched into a wide smile, before allowing his triplets to swallow him in their cuddles. ‘Damn. This is really the best life ever.’

Konarot embraced her father tight, her silver tail swaying gently behind her. She could already feel that her father was going to go do that starting from the next dawn.

As slumber camp to him, he noted something from the corner of his eyes.

Quest Complete: Married Men

XP Gained: +1000

XP: 2 700 -> 3 700

‘Nice.’

Adam indeed did do that once dawn came. He did that for the next few days, spending his morning with his family, before leaving with the other young adults to work. They returned back in the late afternoon to spend time together.

He broke his habit of working only for two precious days within the first month. The seventh day of dawnval arrived with a warmth across the Front Iyr.

“Cousin Adam,” Katool huffed, narrowing her eyes towards the half elf.

“Who could this be?”

Katool glanced towards her elder sister, Kitool, who wondered if she should help, or if she should tease her sister too. As always, Kitool made the wise choice.

“Shall I beat him?” Kitool asked.

Katool beamed up towards her elder sister with sparkling eyes of expectation.

“Of course I know who it is, it’s our Katool, who else can bully me as harshly as my own daughter?” Adam replied, glancing aside to Kitool. ‘Seriously, Kitool. Isn’t it bad enough your grandaunt’s going to be the one to kill me, you’ve got to bully me too?’

“Kako,” Jirot called, reaching over to pat Kitool’s leg. “You can beat lightly, okay?”

“Jirot, how can you betray me like this?”

“You ah always wuhking,” Jirot replied with a frown. “Kako, you must beat daddy only lightly, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Good.”

The old man’s howling laughter filled the air, while Adam embraced little Katool, brushing her hair, still fashioned within a bob, before finally letting her go. He slipped her a silver token for a personal favour, not that the girl ever required a silver token to have Adam act personally, but Adam had already handed out a bunch to most of the other children.

“Jurot,” Adam whispered, staring out to the children who fawned over Katool, who was the youngest of the older children, and the oldest of the younger children. “She’s eight years old, isn’t she?”

“Yes.”

“Doesn’t that mean...” Adam glanced around to all the children. Gurot stormed back to his mother, while Inakan cuddled up with her brother, while Jitool sat beside her sister, the birthday girl, with Jirot and Jarot beside her. ‘I’ve known Katool almost half her life now...’

“Jurot.”

“Yes?”

“Katool’s so tall.”

“Yes.”

“Turot’s begun to learn a trade too.”

“Yes.”

“Taygak’s grown too, and our sister, since when could she walk and talk so easily?”

“Yes.”

“Since when? When did they grow up this much? What happened to them? My adorable little cousins, my adorable little sister, my adorable little children...”

Jurot knew how much Adam liked to joke, but this time... Jurot took in the sight of all the children. He recalled little Katool, who cried so easily. Then there was Lanarot, who only knew how to cry for her mother, and now she watched over Gurot and Danagek so well. He recalled little Taygak, who once barely knew how to crawl, and now she was a stellar example for all the younger children.

‘In a few more years...’ Jurot’s entire body tensed up as the darkness slipped into his heart. His eyes remained focused on Taygak, who was the oldest of the children, and had yet to be granted her tattoos. Once she was tattooed...

“Old man, give me back my boy,” Adam snarled, reaching out to his youngest boy.

“When we were young, we fought a few times,” Jarot admitted. “She was not difficult to beat, more difficult than the Aldish, but she was not talented for an Iyrman. She left when I left, and returned a few years later. She swiftly earned the title of Expert on her adventure, and retired within the Iyr.”

“Grandaunt worked hard to become a Grandmaster while retired,” Jurot said, holding up his cup of wine. “She did not shame our family.”

“She did not shame our family,” Jarot repeated, glancing towards Adam.

“She did not shame our family,” Adam replied, awkwardly, before the trio sipped their drinks together. “When’s the funeral.”

“She was buried in the night,” Jarot said. “She wished to be buried quickly. She was buried with her axe, her shield, and the cloth strips she had received from the children in the last year.”

Adam wondered how Iyrmen burials worked, but he decided against asking for more. ‘Rirot...’

“Sister will train hard to become a Grandmaster in her stead,” Jarot said, glancing aside towards the pair of demons who had been hanging out as the Rot family estate in order to train. “You are still working hard?”

“Yeah. Tomorrow I’ll be done with the business’ stuff. Then I’ll be making something personal.”

“What is it?”

“I can’t spoil the fun.”

A figure approached the extended estate, and though they were expected, the Iyrmen still tensed up, their eyes focused on the stranger.

‘I’m still not used to their gazes,’ the fire giant Prince thought.

Thankfully, another figure also appeared, taking many of the gazes away, as a red skinned woman with dark green robes and golden thread across the hem of her robes stepped into the Iyr.

‘Right,’ Adam thought. ‘The Iyr takes such good care of my children.’ “Good morning, Shaman Lokat.”

“Good morning, Adam,” Lokat replied, her attention quickly returning back to the one year old. She checked the boy’s sight, his teeth, and the rest of his body. She spoke few words, though every word she said was dutifully written by her aide.

“How is he?” Adam asked.

“He is healthy.”

“Of course he’s healthy, since his family takes such good care of him,” Adam said.

“Yes.” With that, the Shaman checked upon the rest of the children.

“Our nephew is always healthy,” Turot stated. “I make sure he is warm!”

“I bring the fruit,” Asorot said.

“Yes,” Turot said, patting Asorot’s back. “You are so well behaved.”

‘How can my cousins be this cute?’ Adam thought.

Nirot understood why Adam wanted her to stay behind. ‘I should remain for my nephew’s first birthday.’ She glanced towards her younger brothers, who took such delight in watching over the boy.

It was the last day of dawnval when Adam finally completed it, even missing the break he should have scheduled, much to his children’s chagrin.

“What is it?” Vonda asked, finishing her tea as she eyed up the mace upon the table.

“It’s my gift to you.”

Vonda raised her brows, before reaching out towards the mace. She almost pulled away from how tingly her fingers felt when she touched the weapon. “Is it...”

“Greater Enhanced.”

“Oh, Adam...” Vonda reached up to her forehead, wondering how she could deal with a husband like this. “You already gifted me such a fine weapon.”

“Even our Leads have Greater Enhanced weapons. What will they say when they hear that a Ray of Hope doesn’t even have something which matches it?”

“What does it do?” Vonda asked, quickly snatching the mace up as Jirot reached for it, pouting up at the woman.

Adam smiled.

Vonda’s Dawn

You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls made with this weapon.

Deals 1D6 bludgeoning damage.

State the command word to cause the weapon to glow brightly for 6 metres and dimly for another 6 metres.

Holds 3 charges. When the weapon is glowing, the user may choose any creature within the radius of the bright glow to regain 2D6 Health. Regains all charges at dawn.

“How many did you make?” Vonda asked.

“Three of these.”

“Is that all?” Vonda asked, her eyes staring deep into Adam’s.

“Well, the business needs more money, so I’ve been working hard before we leave...”

Vonda reached over to hold Adam’s hand. “You’re working too hard.”

“I’ll work lighter once we’re on the road.” Adam wiggled his brows.

“Adam...” Vonda flushed again.

‘I should do at least this much for my wife, right?’ Adam thought, intertwining his fingers with hers.

Noticing how her mother and father were distracted with their flirting, Jirot reached over towards the mace, only to find her mother was more observant than she realised. Jirot glanced towards her brother, as though she hadn’t tried to cause any trouble at all.

“Who would like to hold the weapon?” Vonda asked.

Jirot gasped, sitting up tall as her eyes beamed brightly.

‘Yeah, exactly,’ Adam thought, nodding his head approvingly. ‘You should show off your husband’s gifts!’

Jurot eyed up his brother. ‘I should bring back a dragon’s head for Pam.’ His eyes then darted to Pam, who was too busy ignoring the ridiculousness of her husband’s brother, feeding Lanarot tiny bits of bread. ‘No. She would not like that.’

Jurot crossed his arms as he thought about what kind of gifts he could bring to his wife, who was an Aldishwoman born and raised in Red Oak, and a baker.

‘Dragon meat?’

Adam constantly flirting with his wife in the most cringe way. Jurot! You have to resist!