I apologize for the slowness, but this will be the last introductory chapter. But look on the bright side, two more chapters and then you have dragons.

Sophia sat on the floor to her mother's small bedroom, playing with a toy horse. Her mother was busy working, and since no one was there to watch her, Sophia had to stay in the small room until her mother was done. Sometimes, she wouldn't be done working till late in the night.

The small girl's ears perked up as she heard the sound of soft footfalls approaching, Sophia turning her head upon hearing the door open, a man clad in black standing at the entrance. Sophia's face lit up.

"Daddy!" Sophia cried, forgetting her horse suddenly as she ran towards the man who had stooped down on his knees.

Crying, Sophia threw herself on the man, her small arms failing to wrap around his neck as his arms engulfed her. The girl squealed as the man hoisted her off the ground, laughing.

"Hello, Phee-Phee. How is my girl?" Rorek asked, chuckling as the small girl fought against his grip, wriggling like a bear cub.

"Grrr! Let me go!" Sophia cried, laughing as she tried to squirm out of the man's grip in vain, Rorek humming, as if in thought.

"Weeeeeell...I think not!"

"Daddy! I'll lick you!" Sophia warned, her small tongue sticking out as Rorek could do little but endure the childish behavior.

"You can lick me all you want, child. It will not work." Rorek responded, reminding himself that he should scold her for such behavior.

"Why not?" Sophia asked, pausing in her assault as the man looked at her, face blank.

"Because I have cooties." Rorek responded almost dryly, Sophia sticking out her tongue in a disgusted manner.

'Ewwwwie! Daddy has cooties!"

"MmmmHmmm. And what did we learn from this experience?" Rorek asked, Sophia going limp in his grasp, thinking.

"That Daddy has cooties?" Sophia answered, Rorek sighing in response.

"Yes, Daddy has cooties. And now you have cooties, too." Rorek stated, Sophia's eyes going wide in shock.

"Ahh! Daddy, I don't want cooties!" Sophia cried, lip quivering and tears welling in her eyes.

"Then do not lick people. It is unsanitary." Rorek responded, Sophia going silent.

"Daddy, do I have cooties?"

"No, darling."

"...do you really have cooties?"

"No, I do not have cooties." Rorek stated dryly, Sophia's eyes looking off to the side before returning to her father.

"You're bad, Daddy! You lied!"

"Yes, Daddy lied. Lying is bad." Rorek spoke, grunting as Sophia once again tried to lick the man.

"What did I just tell you about licking people?" Rorek asked, Sophia pausing.

"That...licking is bad?"

"And if licking is bad, why do you do it?" Rorek looked the girl in the eyes, the small child pausing, as if in thought.

"I don't know, Daddy." Sophia responded, Rorek going blank.

"What a good answer." Rorek responded, sarcasm dripping off his voice.

"Daddy?" Sophia asked, looking up at the man, Rorek's green eyes meeting hers.

"Yes?"

"If you live to be one hundred, I hope I live to be one hundred minus one day, so I will always have my Daddy." Sophia spoke, smiling as Rorek's eyes widened in shock, tears beginning to well within.

Rorek stayed quiet, for the first time completely unsure of what to say to his child as his throat suddenly dried, and a lump began to form in his throat.

"I...aheh...do you even know what comes before one hundred?" Rorek asked, struggling to hide the emotion in his voice as he changed the subject. Sophia paused, thinking.

"No, I can't count that high." Sophia replied, frowning as the man laughed gently.

"It is ninety-nine you dunce." Rorek replied, laughing.

"I love you, Phee-Phee." Rorek whispered, kissing her brow as the girl giggled.

"I love you, Daddy." Sophia giggled, delivering her own sloppy kiss on the man's cheek.