Chương 1166: [1093] - Y05.093 - The End of Duskval

"What is wrong?" Jaygak asked, catching Jarot staring at her, the boy flushing slightly as he hid his head against her shoulder.

"Is there something on my horn?"

"No…" The boy sucked on his thumb while she held him so dearly, while Jirot ate from Lucy's fingers, the girl reaching out to tug on her brother's shirt to offer him food, but Jarot shook his head, and continued to hold onto his aunt. Lucy wiped Jirot's mouth, the girl leaning forward to allow her Demon General to do so easier. Lucy fixed a strand of the girl's hair, sweeping it behind her ear.

Lucy smiled a sad smile, for although the pair were enjoying themselves, the scars remained, like mirrors pieced back together.

"Does it still hurt?" Gangak asked, her eyes glued to the twins, who enjoyed their time with their aunts.

"It does," Mulrot admitted.

"You gave up your position and fought." Mulrot inhaled deeply, and though Gangak's words made sense, her heart still ached. How had she refused such sweet children when they first came to her? She should have accepted them more deeply after her refusal, then this could have been avoided. It was her failure not just as the Family Elder, but as their greatmother.

"Babo…" Karot called, the boy reaching up to his greatfather's hand.

"My Karot! What is it that you need?" Jarot asked eagerly, rubbing the boy's knuckles gently with his thumb. The boy looked down at his greatfather's hands, feeling how rough they were, noting the scars which painted his hands with his tales. The boy felt a gentle coolness in his tummy from holding his greatfather's hand.

"I want to sit with babo…"

"You wish to sit with me?" The boy nodded his head shyly, and within the blink of an eye, Jarot hoisted the boy up with a hand, and sat the boy upon his lap. The boy squirmed slightly as his greatfather planted a firm kiss upon the tip of his ear.

"If my greatson wishes to sit with me, who can stop him?" Jarot asked, as though daring the world to refuse.

"Babo," Konarot called, yawning, before the girl climbed up to cuddle against the old Iyrman's arm. Kirot stared up at her greatfather questioningly, climbing up to cuddle her greatfather, using his muscular thigh like a pillow, her tail curling up behind her.

'How can you cuddle with your greatfather? How merciful can you be?' Jarot leaned back, allowing his greatchildren to cuddle with him, because not even he could refuse his greatchildren. Konarot nestled against his arm, holding it tight. Her horn gently pressed against his tricep, the girl nuzzling against his bicep.

"Babo."

"Yes?"

"I love you, babo."

"I love you too, my Konarot." Jarot leaned down to plant a kiss atop her head, feeling the softness of her silky hair against his cheek. His heart throbbed, swelling with sheer delight from the girl's words. Once, she had bared her teeth so eagerly towards him, but now she was such a gentle little girl. Otkan and Rajin remained to the side, allowing the triplets to cuddle with their greatfather. They surrendered the children since they had played with them for so long already, while Jarot had waited patiently.

"So you're a funny guy, huh?" Adam teased, the Iyrman chuckling before him.

"Funny?" Marmak asked, glancing aside to his wife, who sipped away at the alcohol lightly, before grinning wide.

"It is a little funny."

"Do people get you confused?"

"No. I am Marmak and my wife is Marmak. There is nothing to confuse."

"My husband's stories are too wild," Marmak stated simply. Adam had half expected this Marmak to be like his grandmother, but she was definitely someone wilder. Even though it was duskval, she wore only a scarf wrapped around her chest, and a piece of cloth wrapped around her thighs, revealing most of her body, and the near limitless scars, to the world. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

"She is too old for you, boy," Marmak warned.

"It's nothing like that, you old geezer!" Adam snapped back, his cheeks turning a deep red.

"I'm just wondering about your stories, grandaunt."

"Why are you calling her grandaunt when you will not call me granduncle?" Marmak asked.

"You're an old geezer, and she's my grandaunt."

"Am I your grandaunt?" Marmak asked.

"Since Taygak likes you, I'll allow it," Adam replied back.

'Taygak?' Marmak thought, wondering what the young woman had to do with this.

"Xarot?" Adam called, reaching down to the basket, noting his son squirm slightly.

"It's okay, it's okay."

"Hoo…" Adam pulled the boy up from his basket, holding him close, the boy squinting towards his father, before he felt his father's chest against his cheek. He sucked his thumb as his father held him, the boy closing his eyes lightly.

"You are so close with your children," Butcher Marmak said.

"Our children struggled to adore their children as deeply as you."

"How can I not love my children? Every time I see them, I want to conquer the world. Isn't that right, little Xarot? You don't want daddy to do it though, do you? That's right. If I conquer the world, I won't be able to see you because I'll be too busy. How can daddy do that? Daddy is so silly, how can he do it? No, daddy won't, daddy won't. Daddy's going to stay here and spoil you." Adam rubbed his cheek against his youngest son's, feeling the gentle breath caress his neck.

"Oh, my little Xarot."

"I will send my grandchildren to you to learn," Marmak said, the woman smiling slightly.

"Of course! I'll teach them all how to adore my children!" Adam planted a kiss on the side of his son's head, feeling his thin hair tickle against his nose. The Marmaks exchanged a look, before glancing back at Adam. He truly was so Iyrmanlike, with the rage he could hold so deeply, and then the pure love he had for his children. Jurot sat to one side, Monarot within his arms, the girl sucking away at her dummy.

She tilted her head to meet her father's gaze, smiling towards him, before returning back to sucking at her dummy. Jurot leaned in to press his nose against hers for a moment, causing the girl to smile even wider, almost giggling at her father.

"Can you see me clearly?" Jurot asked, causing the girl to smile again.

"Do you understand what I'm saying?" As the girl smiled wider, Jurot thought of his sister. It was only a few years ago now that she had been born. She had been this small too, but now, she was so much bigger. She ate so well, and ran so confidently. She could speak to him, she could understand him, and she could even spell words to him.

'Duh. Oh. Guh. Dog. Is like a puppy, but not my puppy, my puppy is Sun. Sun like to play with me, and we play in the fields. You will play with me, brother?'

"Monarot," Jurot called, causing the girl to stare into his eyes.

"That is your name. Do you understand?" The girl sucked on her dummy, squirming shyly.

"Your mother named you. I wished to name you Pamarot. She wished to name you Monarot. Monarot is a good name. Your ancestor, Monarot, is one of the greatest in our family. She fought and slew many dragons. She did it so that our family could be safe. Her greatfather, Jarot, was the one who brought so many to the Iyr. The dragons did not forget, and they attacked our families, but Monarot, she slew so many dragons so we could live in peace."

The girl smiled up at her father, revealing her toothless smile to him, her dummy almost falling out of her mouth, but her father's reflexes were too fast.

"You do not need to slay so many dragons. You may stay in the Iyr. Grow well. Grow happy. You must eat your mother's bread, though." The girl's fists raised up towards her father, before she squirmed within his lap, and began to groan.

"Are you hungry?" Jurot asked, after checking her clothy with a hand.

"Since you drink your mother's milk so well, I know you will eat her bread well. Just like your kako."

"Ababababa!" Virot pointed to the wall, glancing towards her mother, as though it had the sheer audacity to block her path.

"Wall," Vonda confirmed.

"Bah!"

"Yes." Virot huffed. She charged back towards her mother upon her feet, grabbing her mother's dress to steady herself.

"Kekeke." Damrot lay peacefully on his mother's lap, staring up at the sky above, which darkened. He closed his eyes, sucking his dummy lightly, only to be rudely awoken as his father held him, though in an instant he was asleep once more.

"How are you able to do that?" Pam asked, brushing her daughter's face, before bringing the girl up to feed her.

"Father held me this way," Jurot replied.

"Your father really was so impressive," Pam said, before her brows shot up in alarm, staring at her husband.

"Yes," Jurot replied, not bringing attention to the word.

"When he returns, you will see how impressive he is. Father is stronger than mother. If he does not return, I will go search for the shield, and to return his body to the Iyr." Pam flushed slightly, glancing down to her daughter, who drank her milk so peacefully. Kiara remained to the side, the other Rot family children eyeing her up. Sometimes they would bully her by telling her all their family's tales, which terrified the young woman to her heart.

She had lost count to the number of dragons, serpents, hydras, demons, and all manner of wicked creatures the Rot family alone had slain in the Iyr, putting it among some of the greatest families within the Iyr. For although there were at least a hundred families, the Rot family was counted among the top ten, along that of the Gek, Kan, and Jin families, which were some of the only families which lacked a true dark age.

Then there was the Gak family, which had yet to truly rise in the last thousand years, but she had heard plenty of tales from them too, many which were already too much.

'What a terrifying place!' Thus the festival continued, with a mood of merriment, soured by a darkness no one could swallow.