“I’m sorry about yesterday,” Adam said. “I didn’t mean to imply anything by it.”

  “I know,” Jaygak replied, eyeing up the shield in her hands, rubbing along the edge.

  Adam frowned, staring at the shield, at his own refle through it. “I k wasn’t going to work.”

  “You did?”

  “I did,” Adam admitted.

  “Why did you do it?” Jaygak asked, knowing he wasn’t talking about their versation.

  “I had to,” Adam said, staring into his own eyes. He wondered what his children saw within his eyes, what Vonda saw within them.

  Jaygak stared at the shield for a long while. “These shields are well made.”

  “Yeah.”

  With their pouches lighter, the pair returned back to the Guild, where Barks grilled them upon their stories to see if they matched up with Jurot and Kitool’s.

  “There were some suspis that you may have killed him, but I don’t think you’d do something like that,” Barks said. “I’m mostly saying that because the Iyrmen said you wouldn’t.”

  “Yeah.”

  “You alright?”

  “I’m fine. I just… want to go home.”

  Barks narrowed his eyes. “Alright.”

  Quest plete: Inform the GuildXP Gained: +100XP: 16 600 -> 16 700

  Stamps Gained: +1Stamps: 5 -> 6

  As the group made their way to their wagon and cart, Adam called out to Mara. “You alright?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “We’ll get you fixed up once we’re at the Iyr.”

  Mara bowed her head, climbing into the cart, sitting beside Lucy. Her body was still pale, like Jurot had been, though the Iyrman had healed up shortly before the festival.

  ‘Greater Restoration is Fifth Gate,’ Adam thought. ‘Just you wait, it won’t be too long now, just a few years.’ Adam thought of other spells, some of which were also Fifth Gate, especially one in particur. ‘I ’t be too quick, though…’ He reached up to his forehead, rubbing it. ‘Quick, but not too quick. Strong, but not to. Rich, but not too rich. Unhinged, but not too unhinged.’

  “In the North, the tour is sidered the most difficult,” Jurot said, breaking the silence. “ year, I would like to ehe tour.”

  “Yeah,” Adam replied, smiling slightly.

  As noon came upon the nd, Jaygak sighed. “Adam.”

  “Yeah?” Adam asked, peeking his head out of the wagon. “Oh, man.”

  “I see yetting into more trouble,” he said, tipping his hait, Maurice gring down at the group.

  “Am I still making waves?” Adam asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Damn.”

  “You are making this quite awkward.”

  “I am?”

  “You are strong, especially with that axe of yours.”

  “Yeah, well…” Adam shrugged his shoulders. “What you do? I mean, Jurot’s strong too, so is everyone else.”

  Crowseer smiled, tipping his hat once more. “gratutions upon your children.” He turo face Jurot. “Have you thought of a name?”

  “Yes.”

  “It is a fine name… I’m sure.”

  Jurot narrowed his eyes. “Thank you.”

  “So what are you doing here exactly?”

  “I thought of meeting the aerror you unleashed, but I decided against it.”

  “Hey, hey, hey, I didn’t unleash anything this time,” Adam said, though he didn’t believe his words.

  “I suppose you didn’t. This time, somehow, you weren’t directly involved.”

  “How about ily?” Adam asked, surprised.

  “Perhaps?”

  ‘Damn. I guess that’s better than it being directly, though?’

  “Are you heading to Red Oak to adventure?”

  “No. We’re heading back to the business. We, uh, got into too much trouble with the aerror I definitely didn’t unleash.”

  “It is a waste to return so soon.”

  “Yeah, well, I do have some work to do, so…”

  “Very well.”

  “Want to join us for lunch?”

  “I think my presence would cause you too much stress,” Crowseer said, before tapping his e onto the floor. “I shall leave you be.”

  The group made for lunch, with Adam’s spells allowing them to prepare their food swiftly.

  “We really should prepare for year. Should we head to the North? Aswadasad? I want to be back for our children’s birthdays, but we leave pretty early in the year and go about our business. What do you guys think?”

  “We may pete iwo tours,” Jurot offered.

  “Dawnval and duskval?” Adam thought about it. ‘That does leave noonval free, and in noonval end our time at home, rather thaing all hot and sweaty.’

  “We should fight in the noonval tour again,” Jaygak said. “I think I pce well now.”

  ‘I guess we fight in three tours then…’

  Jurot thought about how quickly they could travel the nd with their magical steeds. ‘If they are born earlier in the season, we could fight in the nightval tour in North Amber too.’

  “What, I’ll be twenty three year, right? I’ll be pretty unstoppable in my css…” Adam rubbed his . “I came third pce, but if I e first pce all four times, won’t Jirot stop bullying me?”

  The party arrived at the Florian outpost in the early evening, where they found ander Silversky eyeing them up suspiciously. “Didn’t you tell us you were going to adventure in Ever Green for some time?”

  “Yeah, well, stuff happened.”

  “What happened?”

  Adam gnced over to Jurot.

  “An a evil awoke, a fellow died, and some of us have injuries which require the Iyr’s assistance,” Jurot replied.

  “…”

  Lord Royce ughed at the group’s story, his voice eg through the tent. He quietened down at the mention of death. “An a evil? That’s hard to believe, but I’ll bring word to the King.” ‘It’s not good to ignore an Iyrman’s warning.’

  “What are you doing here anyway?” Adam asked, sipping his tea.

  “I was bored.”

  “Oh. Fair.”

  The group tinued along their way from the Florian outpost, passing through the Aldish outpost, with minor trouble, but they made their way to Red Oak.

  “It’s them again,” Bill said.

  “We should ask them to let us just patrol the town instead…”

  “At least there’s no wolves.”

  Except, somehow, everything seemed… normal? The adventurers handed over the and made their way through to the town.

  “…” Bill exged a look with Gee, and the pair shrugged their shoulders.

  The group only spent the night within the Guild, swiftly making their way out, heading through the outpost to the vilge, who weled them, slightly fused as to why they had returned so soon.

  The wagon and cart stopped a little bit before the business, right at the vilge at its border, and Adam stepped out. He ihe crisp air deeply, dreading his return to the fort. He gnced around, nodding his head at the various vilgers, before holding out a gem to the Chief, who tried to dee, but Adam held it out to Merl instead.

  “How are you doing, Merl?”

  “Fine.”

  “Let me know if you need anything, alright?”

  “I would like to see Nobby more often.”

  “Isn’t he at the fort?”

  “He doesn’t spend enough time in the vilge, and he’s w so much.”

  ‘Ah.’ Adam cleared his throat. “I’ll go talk to him. He really should be spending more time helping out his wife.” Adam tutted. “I’ll give him a few weeks off around the time of the birth too, that way he help you around, and I’ll make sure he spends more time at the vilge during his days off.”

  “Thank you.”

  The gates opened for the returning wagon and cart, and Adam stepped out of the wagon once more, letting out a long sigh.

  “You missed your children?” Dunes joked, shaking Adam’s forearm.

  “Something like that.” Adam pat Dunes’ shoulder before making his way to the squealing children who tried to tackle him.

  “Daddy! Daddy! Daddy is back!” Jirot squealed, her ti st towards her father, before they found the air as he lifted her up and embraced her.

  “I missed you so much, my baby girl.” Adam peppered her cheek with kisses.

  “I miss you too, daddy!” She leaned in to pepper her father’s cheek with kisses too.

  “Were you good to mummy?”

  “Yes! I feed mummy all day!”

  “Good girl.” Adam let her down to embrace each of his children one by one, allowing his brother to greet them too, before he he little girl narrowing her eyes at him. “What?”

  “Y gift?” Lanarot asked, holding out her hand.

  “Of course I brought a gift! Who am I?”

  “Papa!” the girl decred, before the pair embraced.

  “Smelly girl, of course I brought you gift.” Adam lifted her up and carried her around, going to che the business. He wiowards his wife, walking up to her, the woman reading a book to the children. “What’s this? Everyone usually waits at the gate, but you’re all being so well behaved, listening to the Ray?”

  “They always listen so well to me,” Vonda said, beaming towards the children, who were now focused on Adam.

  Adam’s eyes fshed between the children, noting their expet eyes. “Alright, alright. Queue up.”

  Ohe children scattered after receiving their gifts, with Lanarot rushing off trandfather to show him the strip of cloth she received, Adam dropped down beside Vonda. She reached for his hand. Adam inhaled deeply and iwined his fingers with hers.

  Korihe food, personally bringing the Manager and her Executive husband their food, having made several different foods, with Julia’s assistance. “Lightly spiced for the child, and lightly spiced for the other child who ’t keep himself out of trouble,” Korin dared to joke, though he quickly realised what a mistake he had made upon seeing the awkward smile. ‘Oh?’ Korin waited to see if he o apologise, but Adam waved his hand, rolling his eyes.

  ‘He’s lucky he cooks so damn well,’ Adam thought. “How have you been?”

  “Well. Did you have fun?”

  “That’s one word to describe it. We ended up fag a forest drake, and then, remember those kids? That kid, uh, the ohat was racist all the time? He was with us during the outbreak, and he called Jonn’s mother a, you know.”

  “I do.”

  “We… we helped them out from a horrible aerror. I… I tried to save him too, but… I was too te.” Adam stared at his meal. “I tried. I really did.”

  “I know,” Vonda said, reag for his hand, squeezing it.

  Adam shut his eyes tight, and forced away the encroag darkness, and with his wife’s words, he rexed.

  “A horrible aerror?”

  “I don’t know, Jurot knows more about it, he’ll tell you.” Adam ate the meal of grilled vegetables, as well as the slieat, which had been well seared, perhaps a little too much. “I o take Korin with me.”

  In the night, Adam brushed his daughter’s hair, the girl yawning.

  “Daddy?” Jirot asked, staring at her hands. “You are strong?”

  “Daddy is a little strong?”

  “Daddy is strohan moon?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Why?”

  “I do things the moon ’t, and the moon do things I ’t.”

  “Daddy is strohan salya?”

  “Salya? I think so. I feed more people, and I beat it up.”

  “I like salya, but I like daddy more,” Jirot said, smiling shyly.

  Adam pnted a kiss on her forehead. “Even though I love pizza, I love you so much more.”

  Jirot giggled and squealed. “Smelly boy.”

  Vonda returned with the triplets, Konarot trailing behind, her ears drooped, her tail dragging behind. Upon seeing her father, the girl rushed up along with her siblings, dropping down beside him, her tail against her father’s leg.

  “Daddy is strohan mummy?” Jirot asked.

  “Ah, well, maybe? Mummy is strohan me in some ways.”

  “Mummy is stronger?”

  “Well, mummy have a baby, but daddy ’t.”

  “Why?”

  “I’ll teach you when you’re older,” Adam said, noting Vonda’s smile, the woman brushing little Jarot’s curly hair.

  “Why?”

  “Then you’ll be able to uand it properly,” Adam said, pig the girl up to kiss her cheek, distrag her a moment. “Look at you! So chubby! Is nana feeding you well?”

  “Nana give me potato and nana Mi give me salya too.”

  “Nana Mi? Nana Mirot?”

  “Mm!”

  ‘Ah, is that why she asked about salya?’ Adam thought. “Do you thank nana for the salya?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you hug her too?”

  “No.”

  “Why not? She’s babo’s daughter too.”

  “Huh?” Jirot g her father from the side, her eyes curious and questioning. “Nana is babo dohta?”

  “Yes.”

  Jirot gasped, reag up to her father’s shoulder to stabilise herself. “Nana? Nana is strong?”

  “She’s very strong?” Adam replied, partly with a question.

  “Nana is strong or daddy is strong?”

  “Daddy is strong? Just a little bit?”

  “Daddy?” Jirot paused a moment. “Babo is strong?”

  “Well…” Adam frowned. He growled quietly. ‘How could she mention him when he was the oo beat me up first.’

  Meanwhile, the old one armed Iyrman stared at the sky, staring at the moon, repying the girl’s curiosity in his mind. ‘Of course your babo is strohan the moon!’

  Adam you coward! How could you e back after just two quests?

  I'll five you just this once since our Jirot is so cute.

  Also the future chapters... :)

  Remihat every new patron from the cheapest tier upwards unlocks an additional chapter!