Chương 1801: [1697] – Y07.197 – Darkness on the Horizon VII

Jaygak stood atop the wall, holding her blade behind her back. Her ankle pulsed. Her eyes remained upon the land, which would be stained sanguine tomorrow night. She closed her eyes, and the clashing of steel echoed through her mind, the cries, the grunts, and the gasps, the final throes of death.

'Only the greatest of fools would shoot towards children of the Iyr," Jaygak thought.

'It is perhaps a greater fool still who would place Death Dog at the fortress on the way to the Iyr.' Jaygak's heart was only eased by the fact the Iyr was the Iyr, and so she leapt from the wall, or rather, imagined doing so to impress the children, only to instead take the stairs, for it would be a bad habit for them to learn, and she did not wish to harm her ankle any greater.

"What are you saying, babo? How I can possibly do such a thing? Even I know my limits!" Jirot declared.

"…"

"Babo, let us be done with this foolishness," Jirot said, climbing out of her seat, and with the guiltiest eyes one could possibly possess, she scooted her way to her mother, clasping her hand within her own. She avoided her mother's gaze.

"I am certain she bullied the Faro, and the Amira," Kamrot said, holding the old Jarot's gaze. Jarot replied by furrowing his brows, and began to admonish his cousin, though his lips formed a smile which said enough to Kamrot.

"Mummy, I must have been out of my mind," Jirot whispered, holding her head.

"How could I bully the Amira so?"

"You could do so because you are of the Iyr, my dear."

"Ah! Of coas!"

"Of coas!" came the echo. As Kamrot laughed, he paused, glancing aside to his grandnephew, who offered the old man a pouch. Peering within, his brows shot upwards, following his lips.

"Aha! It is my grandnephew who spoils me so well!" Adam coughed lightly as the old man crushed him within a hug.

"I'm glad you enjoy the gift, granduncle."

"To think I worry for your wisdom when you have such a wise daughter, such a wise wife, and indeed, such a wise heart," Kamrot said, patting his back, his strength flowing through the youngster's back reassuringly.

"If even you are worrying for me, it seems I will need to think more often," Adam replied, hugging his granduncle in return after realising why he hadn't let him go, and then he was set free.

"Kako, kako, um, you will go to the Front Iyr with us?" Jirot asked.

"I will return with you." Jirot smiled, and she reached up a hand to claim Jaygak's.

"That is a good choice, kako, a good choice."

"A good choice?"

"I was going to tell nano if you did not go, but now that you are an Elder, you are so wise, like me, and mummy, and me."

"Ah, I am as wise as you?"

"Just a little bit."

"I see you are even funnier now."

"My powers have doubled since the last time we met, kako," Jirot said, deepening her voice.

"Good," Jaygak replied, doing her best to speak like a noble.

"Twice the pride, double the fall." Jirot cackled, and Jaygak smiled, but it was Adam's smile which was widest, and his heart, the most wounded. The half elf looked up towards the sky, and wondered if perhaps he should have spoken about his first life so much, but considering no one in this world would understand, was there any issue with it? The fact that his children, too, enjoyed quoting them, that was good enough for him.

"Oh!" Jirot gasped.

"Kako! Look at this!" Jaygak watched carefully as Jirot stood tall and proud, and then half kicked as she spun around, standing tall and proud.

"Oh! Is that your nano's kick?" If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Jirot flushed, standing even taller and even prouder.

"Nano is so cool…"

"So cool," Jaygak assured. Adam sat up.

'Hold on. You can't know my daughter better than me!'

"Can you also complete the Leaping Leaf Step?"

"No, but I can run fast!" Jirot declared, and as though to prove it, she rushed roughly ten steps away with the swiftness of a small child, and she stood tall and proud once more.

"I can run that fast too!" Jaygak declared, and she half leapt towards the girl.

"Whoa! So cool, kako! So cool!" Jirot declared, her eyes sparkling, and Jaygak stood tall and proud. As the girl returned to her mother, she threw her mother a knowing look.

"I know kako is not as fast as me, but she tries so hard." Vonda closed her eyes, trying not to break, and she pulled her daughter close, unable to contain herself, as the nearby Iyrmen laughed, each accepting the children upon their laps, as Jurot, Kitool, Laygak and the others all began to speak the tale.

'How dare they try to harm my sweet greatchildren?' Mayvis thought, and as she tore apart the wood within her hand to toss it into the fire, the light revealed the sneer upon her face, and the wish for blood within her eyes.

'Do not show them any mercy at all!' Even Ravar considered stepping out, but he let such a foolish thought escape his heart, for he was still one of the Ten Paragons, and it was already a shock that Duteous Dogek, of all Iyrmen, had stepped down from the position, more than proving his epithet was true, not for the Iyr, but for the Prime Law.

"Oh? You fought the Sabres of Dusk?" Kamrot mused, reaching out to ruffle Fakrot's hair.

"You did well!"

"Next time…" Fakrot assured.

"You fought well in front of the children, that is all that matters."

'I should have died rather than fail in front of them,' Fakrot thought, letting out a gentle sigh. Kamrot ruffled his hair harder, understanding the young man's thoughts.

"There is no need to think of such for now, Fakrot, for you will have your chance to reclaim that glory."

"I hope so…" As the tale continued, many eyes then began to accuse a certain figure. He sat, with a giant blue toddler upon his lap, protecting him.

"What?"

"I should have expected you to cause trouble…" Jaygak accused.

"What did you want me to do?" Adam replied, holding up Amalrot, to the point the girl turned upon his lap and then leaned in to glare into his eyes for waking her up, and she only forgave him as he kissed her forehead, and she rested her head against her brother's shoulder.

"If she didn't want me to beat her up twice, she shouldn't have been glaring at my children or my granduncle."

"Twice?"

"I wanted to do it three times, and even though the Amira begged for her life, I was going to beat her again, but my grandmother asked me to step back, so I stepped back."

"Ah, well, I suppose if you were going to beat her thrice, then I can forgive you," Jaygak assured, sipping her tea.

"Of course I was going to beat her three times," Adam replied, narrowing his eyes.

"Why are you acting like a stranger all of a sudden?" Jaygak held Adam's gaze long and hard, but slowly, the pair exchanged a knowing smile between one another.

"To beat the Radiant Blade twice over…" Kamrot mused, crossing his arms, flushing with such pride.

"In a single night?" Mayvis raised her brows, because even she would have trouble against the Radiant Blade, or at the very least, Radiant Blade would make her sweat well before she defeated one of the Sayfs of Aswadasad.

"I think, next time, I should probably try to fight with my fists more often, speaking of which…" Adam glanced aside to Kitool, who continued the tale to reveal what had happened during his evening bouts, against all those figures he faced, on average, more than one an evening, even to the point Vadim glanced aside as if to ask the person beside him if he was hearing the Aldish right.

'He did what to the Radiant Blade?' Vadim had thought, but that thought had passed as he heard how Adam, without his magical axe and shield, had brawled and beaten a great many warriors that he would have struggled against even during his prime.

"What the!" Jirot gasped, standing up, marching her way to her father.

"You! Why you did not tell me all this, daddy?"

"What didn't I tell you, my dear?" Adam asked, slowly burying his head into Amalrot's neck.

"Daddy, you beat up so many people, and you met all kinds of heroes, and I wanted to meet them too, but daddy, you beat them up so well? Daddy, I was bullying you all this time, but you did so well? You know what, daddy? You are really pi-," the girl began, wagging her finger towards her father, pausing, glancing aside to her mother, and then she let out a sigh.

"Daddy. I forgive you."

"Thank you, my dear…" Jirot held up her finger.

"You know what I mean?"

"Just this once?"

"Hmph…" Jirot waddled back to her mother.

"You see, mummy? I am so magnaman-," Vonda awaited.

"You see how angry daddy has made me? I cannot even speak?"

"Yes, your father upsets me too." Jirot gasped, and with that, her father's Fate was sealed. The old Jarot stared at his greatdaughter, who was speaking so much, and bullying her father so much. Too much.

'Should I have slain a few?' The Five Death Squads each remained on guard, and rotated watches in singles each, while the Vice Captains each assisted the darkest watches that night. However, even they held such thoughts.

'Elder Peace, you should have sent us to deal with the outposts…' Indeed, for five Grandmasters, ten Masters, and forty Experts, wouldn't they have been enough to slaughter each outpost over the course of a few days?

It was not as though it was dishonourable to escort the children, in fact, it was the greatest honour of all, but their hearts yearned to spill the blood for the sweet children, each of whom had handed over so many sweets to them over the course of the days, and even Jirot, whose words were so vicious, had brought them so much milk. No. It was fine. Was Aldland so wise it would surrender to the Iyr quickly?