[1714] – Y07.214 – The Darkness In Their Hearts IV

“Why do you not use your new abilities with your punches, kicks, and your leaping to fight the Reavers?” Korin asked, while Dunes peeked under a table to see if he couldn’t find a Reaver, wielding the rolled paper like a sword.

“Ahm, I grew up learning magic when I was a little girl, so I know it so well, but my punching and kicking and leaping is no good against Reavers, for I am still learning.”

“Ah.”

“Look, ahms! I found something!” Jirot dropped down, half squatting and she pointed down.

“A bug?” Korin asked, staring at the tiny red creature, with legs like little toes which spread out from its body, easily a dozen on either side, which allowed it to half bounce with its steps.

“That’s right!” Jirot nodded, and the children each nodded too.

“What is the significance of a bug?” Dunes asked.

“Ahm! Everyone knows Reavers communicate through bugs!”

“They do?”

“Yes!” Jirot nodded, and the children each nodded too.

“Bug!” Ranya agreed, reaching for the tiny red creature which fluttered away, causing her to gasp, squeal, and retreat to her father.

“Bug,” Dunes said, holding his daughter, who wrapped her arms around his muscular neck tightly. As the two embraced one another, Dunes gently pat her bottom, before noting he needed to change her, and quickly slipped away with the girl, while Korin assisted the children by making sure, while they were hunting for the Reavers, they were well fed.

“I love dried meat,” Jirot said, tearing into the jerky, while little Jarot nibbled on the same piece for a long while.

“Mm!” Konarot agreed, turning to check on Kirot and Karot, chewing the dried meat slowly.

“Ahm, ahm, I think we have defeated all the Reavers today, so we should go home, otherwise our mummies and daddies will be worried,” Jirot said, for once agreeing with her father’s wisdom.

“Okay,” Korin replied, with the understanding the girl just wanted to stop.

“Ahm, where are your mummy and daddy?”

“I do not have a mummy and daddy.”

“Everyone has a mummy and a daddy, but you do not?”

“I’m special.”

“Yes! You are so special! You are my ahm, so you are special, ahm, of coas.”

“Of coas!” came the echo.

“It’s okay if you do not have a mummy or daddy, you can share my mummy and daddy.”

“Then I would not be your ahm, I would be your eldest brother, and I will take charge from Konarot.”

“Hmm…” Jirot narrowed her eyes deep in thought. “You can be daddy’s daddy?”

“I do not think he would like that.”

“If daddy dares to deny it, I will beat him up.”

“We’ll see.”

“Just you wait, ahm!” Jirot declared, flexing her muscles, preparing herself to defeat her daddy after beating up all the Reavers.

Amalrot’s tears distracted Jirot as the girl turned her head from her mother’s bosom, and then she cried harder.

“I don’t look that ugly, do I?” Adam asked, his face gaunt, his skin pale like a ghost, and he looked as though he was moments away from death.

“Sorry, ahm, you will have to remain my ahm,” Jirot whispered, rushing over to her daddy, reaching out to his knee. “Daddy, you are comfortable?”

“Oh my, oh my, Konarot, you are always so sweet and tender to me.”

Jirot turned to Korin. “Jiddo, beat your son up.”

Korin let out a snort, tears almost slipping down his face, but as Jirot climbed up beside her father, she hugged him tighter, planting a firm kiss on his cheek. Little Jarot, too, hugged his father, and the two bullied their father, who had no strength to resist.

“You look terrible,” Vonda said to Adam as she returned.

“Jirot, because your father is sick, you must defend him.”

Jirot made to speak, though upon seeing her father’s gaunt face, she flushed slightly. “Mummy, that is not what we say to people. It is not nice, now, is it?”

“Oh?” Vonda reached up to her lips. “I’m sorry, I just wished to bully your father, for he has bullied me all week.”

“Mummy, do you think I do not understand? Of all the people in this world, it is I who understands, mummy, and mummy, you are right, but sometimes it is not right to be right instead of to be nice.”

Vonda picked her daughter up, narrowing her eyes deep into the girl’s eyes. “Do you think I will kiss you for being so kind?”

“Yes.”

Vonda kissed her daughter, for she was right, and the two hugged one another tightly, and little Jarot was soon within his mother’s arms, and the two embraced one another tightly.

“Daddy, you must be strong, and tough, okay?” Konarot said, bringing a banana to him. “You should eat this salya. It will make you big and strong.”

“Thank you, my dear.” Adam accepted the banana, offering a small bite to his children one by one, and even his wife, before eating the last half which remained, chewing slowly. He turned towards Amalrot, and offered her the last bit, and though the girl sniffled, she accepted the fruit from her brother’s lips. “Papa is okay.”

“Pahpah!” The girl whimpered, reaching out her hand, but as Adam took it, the two held one another’s hands.

‘Now is the perfect time…’ Adam thought, as he spoke with who he needed to speak with.

The next morning, with the noonval air permeating through the land, Malfev brought the children out for training.

“It is a harsh world for those without power,” Malfev said. “In Aldland, if you endure injustice, they call you spineless, If you stand up against it, they say you are reckless.”

The children remained sitting before him, not just his greatnieces and greatnephews, but his grandniece too, who listened intently, her hands upon her knees.

“The world is so, and in a world like this, there are those who believe power is all you need, and so the world is murky, and, one might suggest, the Iyr is so, and yet, we, who possess such great power, as you have seen, do not step out of our borders and impose our will upon others.”

“Babo! We should go out! We should teach them a lesson!” Jirot exclaimed, holding up a fist.

“Granduncle, if we do not teach them, how will they learn?” Lanarot asked.

“It would be wonderful if everyone was more like your mother, your sister. Yet, even Ray Vonda is strong, for she knows, even with her name, it is not enough, but it is your mother who uses her power for justice, and so that she does not live like a coward.” Malfev held out his hand, clenching it tightly. “If your fist is full of anger, you become a monster. If your fist is full of mercy, you become someone like my dear grandniece, perhaps, one might suggest, a Saint.”

The children stared at their babo’s fist which remained clenched, and they noticed how it shifted slightly when he spoke of rage and mercy.

“If you wield power without care for right or wrong, if you are driven only by your emotions, like a beast, you may be a strong warriors, but if you ground yourself in compassion, you stand tall before the strong, and show patience to the weak, then you shall not be a beast, nor even a strong warrior, you shall be, like our dear Ray Vonda, a strong person.”

“Mummy is so cool!” Jirot declared, causing the children to all cry out the same.

“Yes. Your mother is cool. I hope, not that you will become strong warriors like your babos or nanos, but that you will become a strong person, like your mother, like your sister. Don’t give into greed. Don’t bully the powerless. Even if you stand up to injustice, do not do so out of anger, like even some of your babos…” Malfev raised his brows towards the children, who knew who he spoke of, the children snickering and cackling. “Do so like your mother, like your sister, our Ray Vonda.”

“Mummy is the coolest!” Jirot declared.

“That’s right! Though you are Iyrmen, you are still the children of your mother, who is Ray Vonda, and your father, who risked his life against the Marshal of the East to protect innocent children, and I hope, one day, in the future, you all will remember this, even if you must remember that your father is a fool, he is still someone who possesses a kind heart, and I hope you all, Jirot, Jarot, Konarot, Kirot, Karot…” Malfev held his grandniece’s eyes for a long moment. “You, too, Lanarot, I hope you possess a kind heart.”

“Granduncle, I am the daughter of my mother and father.”

Malfev sighed, reaching up to his forehead. “I see. I suppose, if you are the daughter of your mother and father…”

However, Malfev continued the exercises, and once he was done, he had the children write down prayers to Mother Soza, and he hoped this much would be enough for the children, and that he had done enough for his grandnephew, who had come to ask him to ease their hearts. He remained near Jirot, who eagerly listened to his teachings, and had begun to understand them so well, though they may not have come naturally to her as they had to her other siblings.

“Babo?” Jirot called, feeling Malfev’s hand upon her head, the girl peeking up to him curiously.

“Oh, sorry, sorry.”

“I feel like you are bullying me.” Jirot narrowed her eyes.

‘She is too smart…’ Thankfully, a kiss upon her forehead stopped her thoughts, but only after she side eyed her babo.

“I will show you mercy, babo, for I am my mummy’s daughter.”

“Phew!” Malfev joked, causing the girl to sit up, and she thought about teaching him a lesson.

PATREON FOR 30+ CHAPTERS!

Jirot, you need to listen to this especially. 

Lanarot? She's too far gone...