Chương 1207: [1128] - Y06.028 - Reasons to Live

"Okay?" Jirot asked, rubbing her babo's knee gently.

"I am okay," Malfev replied, leaning back in his chair, feeling the various old aches pulse through him from age.

"You must be comfortable babo," Jirot stated, raising her brows at the older man.

"You must tell me if you are not, okay?"

"Okay."

"Daddy, come," Jirot called, the girl beckoning her father with her hand, and waited for him to get up before she turned and sauntered her way towards the other old Iyrmen who were relaxing.

"Did you see?" Otkan asked, the woman reaching out with a hand, brushing the girl's hair.

"I see, nano! I see!" Jirot promised, before clasping the old woman's wrist with her hands, rubbing her cheek against the back of her nano's wrinkled hand, speckled with the spots of age, and the scars of battle.

"Did you see me too?" Jogak asked, the Iyrman wincing as he leaned back in his chair.

"I see you too, baba," the girl confirmed, since Taygak had pointed Laygak and Jaygak out, and they were near Jogak. Jirot caught Jaygak's eyes, who smiled at the girl, and the girl smiled back, before she followed Jaygak's hand motion towards her baba. The girl skipped her way to Jaygak, who whispered into her ear.

"Baba…" Little Jarot pouted up at the Iyrman, who pinched the boy's nose gently. Jarot smiled, his amber eyes full of such a sweetness. Jirot sauntered over to Jogak, placing a hand on his knee, the girl sighing, shaking her head.

"You are too old now, baba. You cannot. No more, okay?" Jogak picked the girl up, blowing raspberries into her neck, causing her to squeal and cry out, before he let the girl down, letting her flee away from him. His eyes darted to his daughter, who was busy looking at nothing in particular.

"Were you going to tell me you were a Master?"

"Is that so important?" Jaygak asked, smirking wide towards her father, who continued pretending to be annoyed, but he couldn't hide the pride within his eyes.

"Babo, you fighted too?" Jirot asked, patting the old Iyrman on his knee gently, feeling the cool steel against her hand.

"I also fought," Dogek confirmed.

"How you can take it from my daddy?" Jirot tutted, but her lips formed a wide smirk, the girl winking, before she crossed her arms behind her back and sauntered away from the likes of Duteous Dogek, checking upon the rest of the Iyrmen.

"Come on," Adam said, ruffling his children's silver hair.

"You need to check on your elders too!" Tonagek met Karot's gaze, the boy pouting, before rushing up to climb up beside his grandmother, the boy hiding within her bosom.

"Okay?" Konarot asked, holding out her hand.

"Okay," Tonagek replied, accepting the girl's hand, feeling how small it was. Not the scaly talons she once possessed, soft, unlike his own hands, hardened by his life as an Iyrman.

"Did you see?"

"I see."

"Good." Tonagek pulled the girl close, planting a kiss atop her head, allowing her to rejoin her siblings near her grandmother.

"You fight so good!" Jirot said, holding up a thumbs up for her uncle.

"Thank you," Tanagek replied.

"You must work hard because you are young!" Jirot pat his knee, before marching her way to Chosen, giving him the same compliments, and continuing along. Little Jarot hopped along beside her, letting his sister guide his way. Tanagek followed the girl and the boy with his eyes, before he glanced aside towards all the older Iyrmen, some of whom had taken heavy wounds from fighting their opponents, others taking heavy wounds for fighting the young Iyrmen's opponents too.

'The Iyr… is the Iyr.'

"You finally learnt how to think?" Chosen teased, before he chuckled, only to cough in pain. Tanagek smiled.

"Bo bo bo!" Virot complained, holding out her hands questioningly.

"Nana! Bobobo!" If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"They had to fight," Sonarot replied, glancing down to Karot, who continued to hide behind her arm.

"It had to be done. It was to protect you, and your brothers and sisters."

"Wa?"

"Yes."

"Keh," the girl replied, before she heard her sister call out to her, and Virot smiled so brightly.

"Virot! You silly girl! You are bothering nana?" Jirot asked, holding out her arms, and Virot instantly gave in, hugging her sister.

"What I am saying? How you can bother nana? You are too cute." Virot squealed under her sister's kisses, Jirot brushing the girl's hair behind her leaf shaped ear, and held her hand.

"It is time to sleep," Jirot informed.

"No!" Virot complained.

"You don't start!" Jirot huffed, before hugging her sister tighter, and led her away.

"Come."

"Kekeke!"

"Jarot," the older crippled Iyrman called.

"Will you take Damrot?"

"I can do it!" the boy assured, while the older Iyrman's eyes fell to a group of Iyrmen who stalked beside the four children as they made their way, led by Sonarot.

"Look!" Katool showed off to her grandmother.

"Sentinel's Rest."

"How amazing," Kamool replied, the older woman with short white hair, and a calm smile upon her lips.

"Did you thank your cousin?"

"I did!" Katool replied, though she furrowed her brows, turning slightly red.

"I did!"

"I am certain he knows you are grateful."

"I will thank him again to show him how much I am grateful!" Katool rushed away, leaving Sentinel's Rest with her grandmother. Kamool felt the great magic within the blade, her own thoughts upon how she could take on the entire world with it within her grasp. She decided against understanding the logic of how the blade came to her family, for there was a young half elf involved, and that was the reason for the logic, or the lack of it.

'I should have fought harder.'

"Sorry Dunes," Adam said, rubbing his forehead, feeling the ache of stress. He had to fight his body to move, the aftermath of the battle making his body as stiff as dry mud.

"For what?"

"I didn't clean the blade before I sheathed it." Dunes let out a sigh, almost surprised that he expected something serious.

"It is fine."

"…"

"…" The pair burst out into laughter, before Adam stopped, taking the sword and using his magic to clean it, before sheathing it once more.

'Did he forget?' Dunes thought, but he knew the answer already when the half elf turned red with embarrassment.

"Aba!" Ranya called as she rushed up towards her father, panting lightly. She blinked, having forgotten why she had come to get him, before the girl smiled brightly.

"Aba!"

"Yes," Dunes replied, lifting her up, pretending to struggle, before embracing the girl tight.

"Ranya, you're too cute to be his daughter," Adam joked.

"You should be my daughter, since I'm so handsome."

"You are?" Dunes asked.

"My Jirot says I am," Adam replied, his eyes daring Dunes to refute the words, but the Priest shrunk from the gaze.

"Then it must be true…" Dunes cleared his throat lightly, wincing slightly as his daughter grabbed his face, and babbled.

"Adam," called a voice from the shadows, causing Adam to jolt.

"Every time!" Adam complained, standing up, glancing at the aides, before following the Iyrmen away. Jaygak stepped her way towards Dunes, every other step slightly shorter than the other, before she dropped down beside the Priest. She rested Bloodseeker beside the Priest, smiling at the girl.

"Are you bullying your father too, Ranya?"

"Hehehe!" Ranya hid within her father's beard.

"She is growing well." Dunes let out a low groan, brushing the girl's hair with a hand.

"I now understand Adam's complaints. She is growing too quickly." Jaygak smiled wide.

"I remember when Raygak used to cry when I stole his peppers."

"He still cries when you steal his peppers."

"Perhaps they do not grow as quickly as we think," Jaygak joked. Meanwhile, Adam stepped within his house, sitting opposite the Chief, reaching for the cup.

"I don't know how I feel you trespassing in my home to make me tea. It feels weird."

"I am sorry."

"Did you knock?"

"Yes."

"That's fine then."

"Do not worry. I would not have entered unless I knew it was empty, or if there was an assassin." Adam's frown deepened.

"They wouldn't send assassins after me, would they? Whoever… they are?"

"You have survived several attempts already," Iromin said.

"I did?"

"Yes."

"Oh." Adam blinked, unsure of how to feel about that.

"How?"

"You beat them."

"Oh. I did?"

"Yes."

"How did you know they were assassins?"

"We know."

"Man, you Iyrmen are always so scary." Iromin smiled, sipping the tea.

"It has been some times since I was able to see such a great display. It was greater than last year."

"Like I said, you Iyrmen are scary."

"Yes." Adam sipped his tea, his tongue numbing slightly at the heat, but no doubt it would have scalded him years ago. He stared down at his reflection within the dark liquid, only just seeing the depression in his eyes.

"Was it a good idea to kill them?"

"It would have been best to keep some alive, but none were so young to adopt into the Iyr. They broke their word, there was nothing else to be done. Elder Peace will discuss with the Countess, and if she must, the King."

"This is going to be quite the issue, you sure you should be so…" Adam stopped before he said something too stupid even for him.

"There is no issue. We killed them on our lands. The Aldish laws do not apply."

"Are you underestimating the Aldishmen?"

"We will simply close our gates for a few years if it must come to that. If we are to war, then we will slaughter a few thousand Aldishmen, allow them to retreat and lick their wounds. We will impose a harsher treaty among them, one where we will not hand over any soldiers during war."

'Why are you talking about it like it's a picnic?' Adam thought, sipping his tea.

"What about taking land from them?"

"We have our land."

"You could claim more, to the river and beyond."

"We prefer our hills." Adam nodded his head lightly.

"Since we're here, drinking tea and all, I'd like to discuss some business matters with you."

"Privately?"

"Yeah."

"Okay." Iromin noted the look from his aide, but he gestured with a hand. Even if Adam wanted to do something, he was only half as strong as he typically was at this time. Also, he had doffed his armour already, which made him easier to kill. Iromin caught Adam's eyes, and could see the boy held similar thoughts, the half elf understanding his position. Iromin smiled.