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âHard to believe itâs been so many years already.â
Razanâd grown a fair bit older. Grew a slight beard since graduating mageâs college. He had to look the part!
âWell, here we are again,â he continued. âAnother Wintersgrip festival. Another visit to the grandparents.â
Domitia was there, looking a bit more like her mother each day. She held onto Razanâs hand, twin marriage bands on their ring fingers âalexandrite-inlaid Fellmire gob-iron for the husband, and Rivergale emerald amidst a gold-hued band for the missus.
The pair stood at the edge of a glen amidst the Rivergale forests. Short grasses cropped up in and around some local mausoleums of big name landholding families.
âThey were always very nice to me,â Domitia said, gently rubbing her husbandâs hand with her thumb.
âYou must have made quite the first impression.â Razan chuckled. âGrandpa always did enjoy jousting. Iâm sure that helped thaw things out.â
Domitia smiled, recalling a long and storied semi-professional jousting career. Sheâd won three more tourneys before college was done, and even a few in the Fellmire minor leagues.
âSo, here we are,â the red-headed gob-kin said.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
âIndeed.â Razan knelt. âHey, Grandpa Nasir, Grandma Lise. We were off in Fellmire for awhile after college. Wasnât able to make it for a few Wintergrip festivals. And before you know it, we had some new responsibilities to take care of.â
The pair knelt before a pair of simple headstones. Nasir and Grandma Lise having passed away within a year or so of each other, thereabout five years prior. And at Domitia and Razanâs feet were not one, not five, but nine squirming and inattentive gob-human hybrids, too young to truly grasp the significance of the tombstones.
Gregnarb, William, and Amanda took after their fatherâs side of the family a great deal. They had Razanâs nose, especially Gregâ, with the addition of a mild green complexion.
Sally and Rutitia, meanwhile, could have passed for clones of their mother. They had a tendency to bite their fatherâs ankles.
And Gerald, Bianka, Cassandra, and Yorblarg all took a bit from mom, a bit from dad. Yorblarg had Grandpa Nasirâs features, while Cass had a bit of Lise.
âNow, now, children. These are the graves of your great grandparents,â Domitia said.
âYorblarg ate my dire-chicken!â said William with a whine. âAnd I was saving it for a special occasion.â
Razan cleared his throat sharply. âChildren. Children! Gobnorgernackep blesses those who respect their departed elders.â
That got roughly half the children listening. Domitia smiled warmly; her darling husband had adopted the faith of gob-kind more devoutly than she ever did. Still, it was kind of nice that he was so interested in her familyâs culture. Enough so, that heâd moved with her to Fellmire for a time, and so his poor grandparents had never seen their great-grandkids before they passed.
âDaddy, are these your great-grand-grans, or mommyâs?â Asked Rutitia, her adult tusks just barely growing in.
âThey were mine, dear. Momâs family is from back home. Youâve met them.â
âDid they ever meet mommy?â Rutitia asked again.
âWell.â Razan and Domitia looked to each other. âThatâs quite the long story.â
âAnd wouldnât you know it, it involves jousting,â Domitia said. âSo, get situated, children, this will take a whileâ¦â
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