[1748] – Y07.248 – Training Out Hearts VIII

“Nano, you are leaving too?” Jirot asked.

“I must go,” Mikan said, the beautiful woman whose hair had been cut short since they last saw her, her bronze skin, dark eyes, and even darker hair almost glistening under the duskval sun. The greatblade upon her black was also not the same as she had wielded previously, for it was plain white, the blade itself slightly curved.

Jirot stared at the sword long and hard. “Nano, I will miss you…”

“I will miss you too, but I must slay the Reavers,” the woman replied, reaching down to pinch the girl’s cheek.

Jirot glanced aside, noting her mother wasn’t looking, and she leaned in to whisper into her nano’s ear. “Nano, you must… beat up one or two for me, okay?”

“I will beat up six, since you are six, and I will beat up another six, since Jarot is six, and I will beat up one more, so there is a baker’s dozen, and I will enjoy the last.”

“If you are going to beat them up, what am I to do?” Jirot replied, shrugging her shoulders, their gazes holding on another’s for a long while, the two almost smirking.

“Nano, I will tell babo to go with you, he will protect you,” Little Jarot said.

“I am quite strong,” Mikan said, flexing her muscles, and though she was older, she was still a Kan.

“My babo is the strongest,” Jarot replied, his eyes staring innocently into hers.

“Even if your babo is the strongest, I am strong too.” Mikan pinched his cheeks, the boy far too innocent, and too cute, to be bullying her like this. “Are you enjoying your birthday?”

“Yes!” the twins replied.

“Did you eat some cake?”

“Mhmm!”

“Ah? I brought some cake, and it is too much for me, so you must eat…” Mikan paused, her eyes meeting little Jarot’s. “Just a little bit, okay?”

“Okay…” Little Jarot flushed, accepting a tiny portion from his nano, and Jirot ate the rest, though she also held it up for her nano to eat.

It was then a shadow loomed over the twins, adorned in black, with a grey hood. “Do I look cool?”

“Nano! You look so cool!” Jirot declared. “You are leaving too?”

“I must,” Shayfev replied. “My nephew is stepping out, and his father is worried, because…”

“Baba Tamfev, he is so troublesome…” Jirot held Shayfev’s gaze, noting the way the woman’s jaw tensed.

“Yes, it is Tamfev who is most troublesome…” Shayfev replied, holding Jirot’s gaze, seeing the way the girl closed her eyes, inhaling deeply.

“Nano, nano, did you know? Nano is so strong.”

“Ah?” Mikan replied.

“Yes. Nano beat up Waxing Moon in flesh and bone.”

“I do recall.”

“Nano, last year, also killed Wandering Spear.”

“At least this time you saw the fight,” Shayfev grumbled quietly.

“Nano it is my birthday today, you cannot bully me.”

“I will bully you because it is your birthday.”

“Ah. Of coas!”

“Of coas!” they echoed.

“Jirot,” called a voice, as Konarot rushed over, followed by the two. “Mummy is calling you.”

“Ock! Nano, nano, I must go, mummy is calling me.”

“Should I steal you away from your mummy?” Mikan teased.

“Iyrmen do not steal,” Jirot said.

“Ah. Of coas.”

“Of coas!”

The children returned to their mother, who cleaned them up lightly, and allowed those who were stepping out to come and greet them, each allowing the twins to shake their fingers and wish them good luck. For those the twins recognised, they made sure to tease them properly. It was not just them, however, for many of the Iyr’s children swarmed the complex and greeted those who were to be stepping out soon.

“I should probably step out too,” Adam said, since in a couple of days, it would be that day.

As the one hundred or so Iyrmen settled themselves, Mulrot held the twins within her arms, who were tired from all the play that day.

“Jiwoh!” Ranya called, rushing up to the girl, climbing up beside her, although Virot heard Ranya’s voice, and rushed over too.

“Ranya! You are not sleeping?”

“No!” Ranya declared. She hugged her cousin, and Jirot held the girl.

Virot made to whine, but Jarot called for her, and held the girl, and little Damrot looked up towards his greatmother with a pout, but thankfully Kavgak waddled by, and noticed little Damrot, and rushed over to him, swallowing him whole within her arms.

“Damroh, sad?”

Damrot flushed slightly, but shook his head, as Kavgak planted a firm kiss on his cheek.

“Damroh, my nephew,” the girl explained, as if Mulrot didn’t know, but she let out a soft sound of gaining wisdom, and nodded.

Adam yawned lightly, staring at his children, all the while he was pinned down by his triplets. Then a blue moon appeared, except she was no moon. “Mercy, Amalrot.”

Amalrot climbed up over his legs, and lay down against them, resting her head on the pillow to the side, trapping her brother down.

A shadow formed over Adam.

“Brother, do you need my help?” Lanarot asked.

“Please…”

“Brother, you do not need my help, for nothing is wrong.” Lanarot smirked, sauntering off.

‘Okay, I need to figure out how these punks have become so funny.’

Jurot’s eyes trailed after his sister, who winked at him, and continued to saunter off to her mother. ‘My sister is hilarious.’

That night, the twins cuddled up to their mother, while Virot and Damrot slept on either side of their father, and though Virot made to complain, it was Jirot who kissed her face, and calmed her down.

‘You are growing up so well,’ Jirot had thought.

It was the same thought as her mother, who felt the girl’s head against her shoulder, the way her breath tickled the side of her neck. She could feel her son’s breath too, though the boy sucked his thumb, and though he was typically so shy, he had half engulfed his mother in his embrace, his leg over her stomach, his head buried against her shoulder, and his other hand gripping her shirt tight, as though trapping his mother.

Vonda recalled how they looked all those years ago, barely larger than apples. She closed her eyes, smiling.

‘Mummy, you must sleep with us tonight, because even if we are a big girl and boy, we are still your children,’ Jirot had declared.

Vonda, in her heart, too, hoped the children would not grow too quickly.

The next day, it was not only the hundred or so Iyrmen who stepped out, but a particular fool of a half elf, who disappeared without saying anything.

“What?” Jirot gasped. “Daddy is gone?”

“He is.”

Jirot’s jaw dropped. “What?”

Vonda could see how her daughter was beginning to process the information, until she finally opened her mouth once more, in utter shock.

“Mummy. I am going to beat daddy up.”

“Okay.”

“Daddy is so funny…” Jarot whispered.

“Funny?”

“Daddy is pretending he left, but he will return soon,” Jarot said.

Jirot raised a brow to her brother. “Why?”

“Tomorrow…” Jarot explained.

Jirot gasped. “Mummy! We have to leave today!”

Vonda wondered if the Iyr would be able to prepare for them leaving that day.

PATREON FOR 30+ CHAPTERS!

Our Jarot is so wise.