[1713] – Y07.213 – The Darkness In Their Hearts III

Korin sat under the bright sky, feeling it beat against his dark skin. A shadow loomed over him, and he considered which of the four it could be, but as a hand planted firmly on his forehead, that turned to two, but since the hand was small, it was neither of the two, and instead his eyes opened, causing the girl to stumble back in shock, though her lips formed a smile.

“Ranya, do you th-,”

Ranya squealed loudly, threatening to deafen him, before she darted away, and Korin sat upright, blinking lightly, letting out a long sigh. Then, Ranya was in the middle of the air, throwing a look over her shoulder, not seeing anyone, and as continued to turn her neck, she spotted her ahm squatting underneath, his raised brows and pointed eyes accusing her of trouble.

“You have grown so quickly, our little Ranya,” Korin said, letting out a soft sigh, the kind that was both satisfied and full of mourning for the tiny girl. He brought in the girl to his chest, trapping her within a hug, between his powerfully muscled arms. “Did your mother braid your hair?”

“No!” Ranya cackled, only to find Korin’s lips against her cheek.

“Why did you come to bother me when I as enjoying my thoughts?”

“No!”

Korin, with the understanding Amira or Dunes was calling him, made his way, only to find a particular set of children staring at him. “Do you need my help?”

“Ahm, come,” Konarot said, holding out her hand, beckoning her ahm with her fingers as her father would invite trouble.

Korin waddled over, and as he walked like a duck towards them, the triplets smiled, snickering towards his walk. “What?”

“You walk so funny, ahm!” Konarot declared.

“This is a traditional walk of Aswadasad!” Korin replied.

Konarot gasped. “Really?”

“No.” Korin turned his head, causing the girl to turn her head, and the two burst into laughter.

“Ahm Korin, you are so funny!” The girl snickered, but then blinked, and suddenly her eyes took him within her sights. “Ahm Korin you must assist us in killing the Reavers.”

“Oh? This ahm of yours is strong, but I cannot slay the Reavers, can I?”

“There are Expert Reavers, but first we must find them,” Konarot said, and she motioned her hand towards one of the complexes, and she led her siblings away, expecting her ahm to follow her, and as they entered the building, they glanced around, finding Jirot and Jarot. “Kaka, you have found them?”

“The Reavers are too crafty, and sneaky, and strong, they can avoid even my beautiful eyes, which are keener than even daddy’s,” the girl said, as though all these things were true. They were, which is why she said them in such a way. “Ranya, you have brought ahm? Good girl! You did so well! With ahm, we can slay all the Reavers, and then, hmph, daddy will not be able to slay any, and we will claim all the glory!”

“Yeah!” the children shouted, and a moment later Ranya also threw out her arms, and they all exclaimed together once more.

“If we are to slay the Reavers, we will need such powerful weapons,” Korin said, placing Ranya down, though the girl let out a cry, only to stop as Konarot hugged her, and the two glanced between one another, and Konarot kissed the girl’s cheek, causing her to pout slightly, though her cheeks flushed.

“Daddy has not yet gifted us fine weapons, but Ranya has Thunder’s Triumph, and with Thunder’s Triumph, ahm, you can wield it, because you are an Oathsworn,” Jirot said, pausing a moment, furrowing her brows. “Yes! You are an Oathsworn, yes, ahm?”

“I think so?”

“Yes! You are, I know it! You have smote before.”

“Smited.”

“Smote.”

“Oh,” Korin replied, blinking. “You’re right.”

“Of coas.”

“Of coas,” came the echo, including from Korin.

“Sorry, betty, how can I dare to suggest you were wrong, especially when you’re right.”

“It is alright, and do not call me Betty!” Jirot declared, before bursting out into laughter, and so did her siblings, and Ranya.

“What?”

“Ahm! Ahm! And don’t call me Betty!” Jirot laughed once more, her siblings also joining her, and Ranya, once more.

“I don’t get it.”

“Ahm if I explain it, it will not be funny.”

“It will be funny because you made the joke.”

“Ahm, how you can say that?” Jirot flushed, turning slightly, half side eyeing him. “You are right, of coas.”

“Of coas!”

“It is because, um, ahm Dunes, he would say, um, surely, you can’t be serious, and daddy, he would say, I am, and don’t call me Shirley, because surely sounds like Shirley, and you called me betty, and I said, and don’t call me Betty, because it is the same.”

“Ah!” Korin replied, nodding his head, with the understanding that the girl was a genius, though that was obvious, however, he was pretty sure that, technically, the joke didn’t make sense because surely was not meant to be used as a name, but betty sometimes is a way to refer to someone, but he didn’t want to get into trouble, not that she would be mad at him.

“Okay, ahm, you use Thunder’s Triumph, and I will use my magic, and Jarot will use his dance, and Konarot will use her big sword, and Kirot her big maul, and Karot his sword and shield, and he will not kill, he will only incapacitate, and Ranya, you can use, mm, a sword too, and you can use a different sword, you can use, you can use Sword of the Silver Son, and papa, you can use Heart of the Silver Son, okay?”

“Okay,” Karot replied.

“Okay, now we must go slay the Reavers, okay?” Jirot said, looking up to her ahm.

“Of course!”

“Of coas!” the children echoed and with that, no imaginary Reaver could survive their wrath, although any that Karot had incapacitated…

Jirot held a finger over her lips, and she held out her fingers in a peculiar manner he had only seen from Adam whenever he used Flame Bolt, and she let out a hiss, finishing off the imaginary Reaver.

“Betty, you are as adorable as you are scary.”

Jirot flushed slightly. “Ahm, even if you speak these words, you will have to try harder to become my favourite ahm.”

Korin closed his eyes, grasping the sword tightly in his hand. It was this sword, Thunder’s Triumph, which belonged to a two year old Ranya, that had taken the life of the Grand Commander of High Garden, one of the Aldish Paragons, and it was this sword he had wielded to slay so many imaginary Reavers.

‘It seems I will have to step out next year…’ Korin thought, and he stared up towards the sky. ‘I suppose slaying a few Reavers should be able to impress the Matriarch.’

PATREON FOR 30+ CHAPTERS!

Jirot is certainly her greatfather's greatdaughter...