[1755] – Y07.255 – Nightval Will Come V

‘I need to train hard,’ came the thought, as the fist flew through the air, the wind whipping at the end of their fist. ‘I need to become stronger! Stronger! Stronger!’

“I see, so this is the snow of the Iyr…” mused an old man. He was short, bald, his eyes a deep blue. The old man was well muscled, and the attire of the Iyr did little to hide it, and at his side rested a gleaming greatsword of sparkling silver. “The storms during the eighth month were terrible, terrible indeed, but the snow here, though harsh, is so soft, and white, and so cold, too cold for these bones of mine, which were born in a land of warmth, and are now so old.”

“Greatjiddo, the snow of the Iyr is so sweet, and so soft, and you cannot sleep within it, for my kakas and papa, they like the snow, since they are silver scaled, and since we are not silver scaled, we cannot lay in the snow like them,” Jirot explained.

“Ah, of course.”

Jirot stared at the old man.

The old man stared at Jirot.

The pair fell into laughter.

“Greatjiddo, you are so funny!” Jirot continued to cackle, as Little Jarot’s laughter accompanied them too, for he, too, had learnt the tongue of fire.

“Indeed, it is why I was considered the most handsome of all, even though I am short.”

“You are short, just like me, greatjiddo.”

“No, no, you are shorter than I, aren’t you?”

“Mm…” Jirot held her hand over her head, and brought it up diagonally above the old man’s head. “You see? I am taller than you.”

‘I can’t believe she is still making that same joke,’ Adam thought, approaching the trio, and though he was gaunt, he did his best to walk lightly. As the first snows had fallen onto the Iyr, it was the best day to walk, he presumed, especially since tomorrow was that day. “Jiddo, I hope my daughter isn’t bullying you too much.”

“How can I say such a thing? My ibnat al’hafid is so kind to me, today, yesterday, and tomorrow, and so is my ibn al’hafid, who is so handsome,” Afraz said in the tongue of the sun, and he reached down to little Jarot, who flushed lightly, the boy’s eyes staring deep into the old man’s eyes, who winked towards him playfully, causing the boy to lower his head, avoiding the old man’s gaze.

“We must be careful speaking the tongue of sun and gold within the Iyr, jiddo, otherwise the Iyrmen, they might think we are plotting against them.”

“So many, they speak the good tongue, but, shukhur, you are right, my hafid,” Afraz said, reaching up to the young man’s hair, ruffling it lightly. “I see you are still sick?”

“I am, I am, but I have dealt with this sickness a great many times, for I must be this sick after all the trouble I caused, as Lady Elaveil has such a wish for me.”

“Careful, my boy. Speak the name of Divine. You are so strong, it will be trouble.”

Adam smiled, and seeing as the old man had switched to the tongue of the Aldishman, he bowed his head. “The Divine and I have a special relationship, jiddo.”

“They say it. You are Chosen.”

“I’m Adam, my cousin, who is less handsome than I, is Chosen.”

Jirot and Jarot snickered at their father’s words, and as he smiled and winked towards them, they burst into greater laughter.

As the day passed, and it was the second day of the second week of nightval, it was finally time.

Who would dare to suggest Adam would forget?

The little red skinned girl wore her dress of red, and as she reached down to spoon the rice into her mouth, threatening to wear it, a shadow formed over her. The girl stopped scooping the rice, and seeing the familiar face, her eyes beamed, and her smile was as radiant as the sun. As Adam lifted her up, hugging her tight, the half elf threatening to explode with delight, and though there were many complaints, he did not surrender the girl.

Dunes sighed, for he had been holding the little girl, and glancing aside to Ranya, who was also charging the half elf, the girl wearing a scarf which matched her younger sister, he closed his eyes.

‘What a good life…’

“Enisa!”

“Ahm!”

“Enisa!”

“Ahm!”

“Enisa!”

“Kya!” the girl cried, as Adam peppered kissed all over her face, and the two hugged one another tight, the girl planting a kiss on his cheek.

“You! You silly girl! I told you, didn’t I? You can’t grow up too fast!”

“Fass!”

“You!” Adam sniffled, nuzzling her nose, and as he placed her down onto her father’s lap, his children also began to swarm her.

“You do not need to listen to my daddy, for he is a silly boy, and he does not know. He does not know that you are so cute, my Enisa!” Jirot declared, hugging her cousin, who hugged her tightly in return, and as ruby eyes met amber eyes, the two embraced even more tightly.

“Enisa, you are so big…” Konarot said, and staring down at the girl, she recalled what her father said.

‘Though she may not remember exactly, she will remember your love, so make sure to be nice to your cousins. Treat them like you would treat Karot, with such sweetness and softness.’

As the children passed along their gifts, it was finally Adam’s turn, and he revealed a black scarf, that which was covered in beautiful golden suns.

Dunes blinked. ‘I thought he would…’

Dunes recalled the kind of gift Adam had granted Ranya upon her birth, a sword by the name of Thunder’s Triumph, which had then taken the head of the Grand Commander of High Garden, a Paragon. He was its first kill, in the hands of a particular fool of a half elf.

A scarf was…

“Next year, your father and I will go deal with the Reavers, so we’ll be sure to bring you back a few swords so you can pick which one you like, okay?” Adam said, and the girl squealed with delight, not at all understanding what the half elf was saying, but she clapped her hands excitedly.

However, since it was Adam, he still handed her a longsword made of firesteel.

It was he, after all.

The Crazy Father.

‘That makes more sense…’ Dunes thought.

As Jirot and Jarot spoiled Enisa, kissing her together, causing the girl to squeal, along with their elder sister, the triplets all gathered around the pair, blocking the rest from adoring the girl.

“Ahm, Enisa is our cousin too,” Konarot stated.

“Ah? Is that so?”

Konarot narrowed her eyes. “Yes!”

“Am I your favourite ahm because I have given you cousins?”

Konarot glanced aside to Korin, who looked to Dunes. Konarot smirked, but did not speak the words, even if they all knew what her smirk meant.

'She really is Jirot's sister.'

It was in front of the business that the child was spoiled, and they watched as Adam passed a longsword worth more than their monthly wages. The gifts he had handed to the children, even those of the strange Aswadian who had randomly joined them, and had defeated Lord Morkarai, were quite literally worth their weight in gold.

“I suppose it makes sense...”

“Aye, and he grants us great boons too, doesn't he?”

“That he does, that he does...”

“He hands over a longsword like that to a child?” Rowan asked.

“Aye,” Jeremy replied. “She’s the niece of the Sword of the Lady.”

Rowan spied the young woman to the side, who was apparently the Sword of the Lady, a title granted to what was essentially Lady Arya the Goddess of War’s Chosen. ‘I guess that makes sense.’

“Once your kids are grown, and they’re ready to step out into the world, I have no doubt he’ll hand over something like a Basic sword.”

“I mean, aye, but it’s firesteel.”

“No, no, a Basic sword, not a basic sword.”

“You mean a magical sword?”

“Aye.”

“Really?”

“I don’t doubt it.”

Rowan raised his brow, doubtful, but then again, considering all the tall tales they tell within the Iyr, he supposed, perhaps, if even half of them were true, then wouldn’t it be true?

PATREON FOR 30+ CHAPTERS!

Rowan earning all that gold for doing nothing and he's still doubting Adam.