[1023] – Y05.023 – The Gift of Children IV

[1023] – Y05.023 – The Gift of Children IV

“The Reavers will cause trouble,” Jarot replied, understanding his grandson was an idiot. "Once they arrive, the Orders will rally to face them, if they wish to keep their Oaths."

“Oh! Right, yeah, I forgot about that." Adam looked down at Konarot, who slowly chewed the fruit, while Malfev rubbed her face. 'It should be alright since they'll be in the Iyr, right? Ah, right, I said they should stay at the fort...' Adam reached up to rub his pulsing brow. 'Should I have them stay in the Iyr?' Adam felt the shamelessness fill through him.

'Reavers.' Jarot clenched his fist, doing the same for the ghost of an arm within his mind. 'Baktu, is this your message to me?'

"It seems we'll be busy, brother," Mulrot joked, causing Malfev to smile from behind his beard.

"I'll need to work hard too," Adam said, letting out a soft sigh. "It's a good thing Elder Gold spoke with Jirot, otherwise I don't think I could survive."

Jarot laughed, grinning like a fool. “Do you see? One grandson will become a Great Champion, and the other is helping the Iyr.”

Malfev reached up to tickle Konarot’s nose, closing his eyes from Jarot's beaming eyes. “He is my grandnephew too.”

“Whose grandnephew?” Jarot snarled towards the Family Elder, clenching his fist even tighter. "Marmak is too far away for you to claim my grandson as yours."

"Whose grandson?" Adam replied. 'How dare you steal my joke, you old geezer.'

“If you do not wish to hold Konarot, or feed the children, then Adam may do so,” Mulrot warned.

Malfev brushed Konarot’s cheek, catching the girl’s eyes, before smiling from beneath his beard, though Konarot could see his eyes and brows were full of joy. Jarot held up a piece of fruit Adam had cut, offering it to Karot, who ate from his greatfather's hand.

'Strong,' Konarot thought, noting how her greatmother had dealt with the two so simply with her words.

Jurot returned with a tray of food, from bread buns and butter, to fruit and vegetables, which he and Adam made short work of with their knives. As the pair cut their fruit, a pair of boys approached, each drooling slightly.

"Murot, Gurot, you have already eaten," Jurot said, only for Adam to bring pieces of fruit to their lips a moment later. "..."

"Our cousins are only growing so strong because we're feeding them properly," Adam stated, feeding the pair the fruit. "This is why I'm their favourite cousin, isn't that right Gurot?"

"Nana," Gurot replied, looking up towards his grandmother, before smiling innocently.

"Gurot," Mulrot replied, smiling back towards him, reaching up to rub her thumb along his cheek. Meanwhile, little Murot remained distracted by the fruit, the boy chewing his food slowly while Adam wiped his face clean.

"You dote on the children so much," Malfev said. "Will you not dote upon the children of the Fev family too?"

"Is it my birthday too?" Adam asked. "Are you, the Family Elder of the Fev family, giving me permission to spoil the children of the Fev family too?"

"You should do so now and then, since you are my grandnephew." The old man's beard shifted as he smiled, ignoring Jarot's glare.

"Did you hear that, Family Elder? Your brother has given me permission to spoil all the Fev family children! You need to tell the Great Elders so they won't complain!"

"Family Elder?" Mulrot pulled Kirot and Karot up. "You must tell your father to call me appropriately."

Adam flushed slightly, clearing his throat, also feeling Jurot staring at him expectantly. "Anyway, anyway..." Adam tried to find something to talk about. "Right, now that you've given up Phantom, and Jaygak's given up Great Moon, we'll need new weapons. I was thinking about making a new weapon too, though I wasn't sure what..."

"You have given up Wraith?" Jurot asked.

"I was planning on retiring it for now, since I want to have a few weapons too..."

"Okay."

'Three new weapons. Is there something I could make that will be good for all of us? I probably don't need something like it being able to channel magic, since I have Battle Mage, so it's not a big deal. I should keep the ring enchantment, and then the bonus damage. Should I increase the range of the Critical Hits? No, that might be too strong, and I don't want to give the Iyr any reason to think I'm that much of a threat.'

Sonarot and Mirot approached the group, causing Konarot and the triplets to glance their way, their tails swaying. Sonarot took her place beside her son, while Mirot sat beside her uncle, Konarot glancing up towards her. After a short conversation, Malfev glanced between his sister and his nieces.

Sonarot bowed her head. “Jurot, if you disagree with her actions, you may take the position from your aunt.”

Jurot remained silent. He had married, and had a child, meaning he had more than enough qualifications to fight for the position, though that would mean he’d no longer be able to aim for Diamond Rank in the Adventurer’s Guild. His eyes fell to Mirot, who remained focused on Sonarot, then his eyes fell to Adam, who remained stunned. Jurot could see the expression on Adam’s face as the stability the half elf once knew fell under his feet. It was how his children would feel once they found out their new living arrangements. ‘Mother will remain at the business with Lanarot? Would she go without?’

Mirot understood her sister’s threat, though she looked down at the floor for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts. Then her eyes fell to Gurot, who held onto Jurot’s shirt tight in hand, the boy resting his head against the young Iyrman’s chest, while his younger brother remained focused upon the half elf’s hand.

“I will take Lanarot to the business, and she will be taught by myself, and her brothers. Gurot and Murot will learn the way of the Rot family, and may remain within the walls of the Iyr.”

Mirot looked to Mulrot, whose eyes were firmly shut as she thought deeply. As the Family Elder, she could veto the ridiculousness that Sonarot stated before them all. It was not done, to take a child of the Iyr, one of the main family, and raise them outside of the Iyr’s walls. Even if the business was upon the Iyr’s land, this was not done. Still, Mulrot was stuck between the point of a blade and the tip of an arrow. She could allow it, and take the criticism of the Iyr, but if she refused, then a greater crack would form.

‘Damn it,’ Adam thought, understanding that this was all his fault. “You do-,”

“Okay,” Mulrot said, cutting the young half elf off. Even though she hadn’t finished thinking through the matter enough as a Family Elder, she would have regretted allowing Adam to finish his words.

“Okay,” Mirot said, noting the stress upon her mother’s face for a moment, before the old woman allowed the stress to flow through her. She, too, possessed the tranquillity her brother possessed, since she was married to the Mad Dog.

‘Too many things are changing,’ Adam thought. ‘Damn it. Why is everything changing so quickly?’

Jarot’s lips remained grinning wide, though he could feel it from his wife and daughters, the feeling of uncertainty. “You brat, how could you tease your grandfather like this? I have to travel so far to the fort to meet with my own granddaughter and greatchildren?”

“Whose my grandfather?” Adam returned, though his heart was not within it.

As the evening passed, the children were taken to bed, Virot and Damrot already falling asleep. As the children retired for bed, a figure stepped within the estate, causing many to glance his way. The fellow limped into the estate, holding his son’s hand as they walked into the estate.

“Papo!” Lanarot charged the man, allowing Tonagek to lift her up.

“I have brought your gifts,” Tonagek said, rubbing his cheek against the top of her head.

“I take it all!” Lanarot cackled, before Tonagek placed her down and revealed all the items within the pack. Lanarot gazed down at all the little trinkets, each with their own story. She called the rest of the children around, including her nieces and nephews, handing out all the gifts from the Gek family.

“Uncle is waiting outside,” Tonagek said, staring down at the children as they dealt with the gifts, each taking one.

“If he does not wish to step within, then he does not wish to step within,” Sonarot replied, also staring down at the children, especially her grandchildren.

‘He waited all this time?’ Tonagek thought, frowning slightly, his eyes falling down to his grandnieces and grandnephews. He thought of the news that the Reavers may step onto the land once more, and what his uncle had said when Tonagek had confronted him. Tonagek sighed.

“Is it difficult?” Sonarot asked.

“No,” Tonagek replied.

“Thank you.”

“You do not need to thank me, sister.”

Lanarot soon found herself cuddling up to her mother, sleeping in one of the empty rooms of the Rot family estate. Her brothers slept in nearby rooms, each with their own families, allowing Lanarot to sleep with her mother alone.

“Mama.”

“Yes?”

“When I am big, I will have many stories, and Jirot will read them.”

Sonarot smiled. “Yes.” She reached down to brush her daughter’s cheek, the girl smiling bashfully, before she held her mother’s hand and closed her eyes.



What's with all this family politicking? In my wholesome fatherhood simulator?