Chương 1275: [1191] - Y06.091 - Trouble in Our Hearts I

Due to Taygak not wishing to speak well in the Aldish tongue, Laygak spoke the tales instead. He spoke of Rogak, who had been slain by Lord Oscar, the man who was the first Blazing Petal Knight so long ago. He spoke of their greatest tales, for their greatest tales were among the best, and unfortunately, were from a time almost forgotten, a thousand years ago. As Commander Silversky listened to the tale, his gut began to sink with the realisation.

Certainly, the Gak family was one of the weakest families in the Iyr, and in fact, they themselves considered themselves among the bottom five, and had done so for tens of generations. Yet, even these Iyrmen, so called the weakest of them all, held such terrifying relations? Flame Brand herself would be enough to forge a legacy within Aldland, and her descendants would be treated well. Perhaps not in Aldland, the Commander thought, but in certain parts of Aswadasad, certainly.

Sir Gladys had recalled Laygak's cousin informing her about how her own ancestor had killed theirs, and though anyone might have held some animosity towards her as the descendant of the man who stopped the rise of their family, the trio of Gaks were all more than excited to speak with her and speak of the same tale to her. Apparently, their grandaunt, Gangak, was married to someone called Rogak too, which made it more of a surprise that such a wound didn't seem more fresh.

The Blazing Petal Knight eyed up the trio of Iyrmen, taking in their sight, and taking a moment to understand them. She, who was considered their grandaunt's contemporary, and was spoken of so highly by a warrior who wished to face her and spoke so highly of her, without even knowing of it… The woman's heart fluttered slightly, and for once, she thought… perhaps the Iyrmen were not so bad after all?

"Taygak," Sir Gladys called, holding out her the hilt of her blade towards the young woman.

"You may draw my sword." Taygak's head snapped to her brother, her eyes filled with the question her throat could not speak, for she was too full of excitement. Laygak smiled, nodding his head, and the teen almost leapt to her feet.

"Yes! Thank you!" The young teen reached out with a shaky hand, trying to still the rest of her nerves, but as she gripped the sword, the excitement spread like wildfire, and she drew the blade, raising it high into the air. In this moment, Taygak could feel and see all of the details, and yet as she acknowledged them, she all but forgot them, for the feeling within her heart was an excitement which was nearly unmatched.

The tingle of the great magic within the blade, the sensation of being able to wield the blade that cut down Rogak, and the blade which had once been enchanted by a brass dragon, gifted to the Nadar family, which had all but faded from history. Adam's eyes remained fixated on his cousin, who had frozen with shock and awe.

She had already held Sentinel's Rest, one of the greatest blades in all the land, as well as many other blades which held such pedigree and power, and blades which held more pedigree and power, and yet had she ever shown such a childlike wonder? The Blazing Petal Knight made no move to retrieve the blade, noting the girl's eyes, so full of awe as she wielded the sword. No doubt this moment felt both like an instant and an eternity.

She knew the Iyr would return the weapon if the girl made the mistake of taking the blade, since that was what it meant to be the Iyr, to be an Iyrman, so she allowed the girl to hold it until she had her fill, which wasn't as long as she had thought, for the girl, with a trembling hand, returned the blade to its sheath and returned it with profuse gratitude, the kind that made the old woman flush from the attention. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

'At least the Iyrmen appreciate such a history…' Adam reached into his robe and pulled out his journal. He wrote down the date and the time, and after a checking with Jurot, a note. Sir Gladys Grovepetal, the Blazing Petal Knight, let Taygak play with her sword. As he slipped the journal back to his inner robe pocket, the half elf inhaled the crisp air, and resolved himself.

'I guess not all Aldishmen are bad, eh?' It was later when he recalled Sir Gladys was a Florian, and therefore she was far more decent than the Aldish. Laygak swallowed, unsure if he should ruin the moment between the pair, but after seeing his sister so full of joy, he worked up the courage.

"Sir Gladys, would you exchange a blow with my sister?"

"Would you not like to exchange a blow instead?" Sir Gladys asked, feeling the gazes of the others about, those who would criticise her for striking down a girl.

"I hold no such greed in my heart for myself," Laygak replied simply, his voice full of hope. The woman thought for a beat, unsure if she could give in to such a request, not when surrounded by the eyes of the Bellflowers.

"In such bouts, accidents may occur, and I would not wish to harm a child of the Iyr." Laygak let out a small sigh, but her refusal made him smile, since though perhaps not entirely sincere, it was full of respect of understanding what may happen.

"We thank you for your consideration."

"Thank you!" Taygak stated once more, far too loudly, though no one could deny that the young woman wasn't at least grateful. Meanwhile, the various members of the Order peeked towards the large group, full of figures who were legendary, or would soon gain such a status.

"The fools that are the Iyrmen… do they believe they are able to hold their heads so high when we defeated them back so soundly?" one asked.

"If you feel so strongly about it, surely you can speak your mind to their faces," another replied, holding a smirk across his face. The other fell silent, though his eyes took in the sight of the group, as well as the soldiers who remained within the walls of their Order.

"Do you really think it's all true?"

"What?"

"All the… stories." The pair thought of the stories of the Iyr, tales which were so obviously untrue, for who could think an Iyrman could make a dragon step back by politely requesting such? Who could believe that the Platinum Shield could lose to just a touch from an Iyrman? Surely the Sky Commander had a greater showing than what the rumours suggest, for though she was among the weakest of the Grand Commanders, she was not so weak that an Iyrman could savagely beat her to near death so easily. Surely.

However, there was one thing which they knew to be true, and that was the one who held the most power within the fort in this moment was the red skinned teen whose forehead was currently bare. Taygak lay upon the floor, staring up at the ceiling, her entire body tingly as she had not only allowed the Blazing Petal Knight to draw her sword, she had also been able to draw the woman's blade!

The sword known as Suns Fall, though not to be confused with Sun Fall, or Sunfall, or the other Suns Fall, for this blade was called Suns Fall for short, its full name was Suns Fall Fires Rise, a name granted by the dragon who had enchanted it. She stared at her callused fingers which had gripped the blade, the very same blade which had killed Rogak. Her heart throbbed and she frowned.

That blade had cut the rise of her family, in its tale, so incidental, and barely a footnote, but within the Gak family, it was a serious matter. Though they spoke of it sadly, there was a respect for the Blazing Petal Knights and Suns Fall Fires Rise, for it was almost like Fate. Perhaps one day the shining sun would fall, and the Gak family would rise, but that day would not come in her lifetime.

She let out a small sigh, letting the heartache slip through her sigh, and she thought of her younger cousins and siblings.

'Raygak, you must do it. Saygak… you must work hard.' The teen thought of the youngest four, from the leader of the eldest children, Kavgak, and then to Maygak. Tavgak, her own sister, missed her brother so greatly, it wouldn't be a surprise if she would become a Blood Mage. Faygak… she was too shy, even if she grew up so big. Kavgak, though? She was growing well, and she was just like Taygak in the sense that she was stern and Iyrmanly.

Taygak thought of the youngest four, who she recalled were only crawling, what felt like, just the other day, and now were bullying Adam with such ruthlessness.

'You must do it, Kavgak.'