If you're good we'll get a toy after

Manea had shared her concerns with him in private, and to be honest, they were sentiments that the three-time father also harbored. Though little actually worried Alastor, there could be no denying his concern over their most recent litter. It had begun as simple little inconsistencies—Mariah not seeming to grow at the same rate as her sibling did and Malico finding difficulty in hearing them when they called for him or spoke to him. He had initially chalked it up to the boy being snooty, but when it became apparent that Malico was not consciously tuning them out, then Alastor began to consider other more worrying outcomes for his children. He thought about what the demons of that forest altar had said to him when he presented his offering to them; they had cursed him in much the same way the firefly creature had. But in this case, it seemed that whatever deity had done this had actually afflicted a curse upon their children.

Still, Alastor remained cautiously optimistic that perhaps they were just overthinking things. Besides, after having three healthy and strong pups, what were the chances that something had gone wrong for their latest pair? So at Manea's insistence, the two parents ushered their children out of the family den and down the mountain paths to get a checkup from Ikigai. Alastor stalwartly refused to allow Irilyth anywhere near his pups—hell, if he'd had his way, the gold bitch would've been buried in a shallow grave somewhere on the island by now—so the task of pediatric duties fell to the graceful Abraxas princess. As they arrived at the medical den, Malico once again exhibited his difficulty hearing, and with a bit of repetition, eventually asked what a checkup was.

"A checkup is when a healer takes a look at you to make sure you're healthy and strong," Alastor explained to his youngest son, making sure to speak slowly so Mal didn't miss a bit of it. Mariah echoed his explanation and Alastor smiled proudly at his little girl, so far the smallest daughter the couple had ever produced. "Just do as Aunt Iki asks, don't put up too much of a fuss, and it'll be over very soon."



"Alastor Mendacium"