Chương 1538: [1447] – Y06.347 – The Future II

The days of duskval continued to pass uneventfully, the half elf working but an hour each day, returning to spend time with his wife, until a particular week, when the days were not quite uneventful.

"You!" Adam half exclaimed, tensed up like his daughter whenever her father brought her to great annoyance.

"You can't bully me like this, even if you're so cute, cousin Inakan!"

"Kaza Adam, you are the one bullying me," Inakan accused, the girl pointing at him with an accusatory finger.

"How you can forget who I am?"

"Is it my fault? You are so big now! You're five years old! Even though I told you to stay small and cute forever, you're bullying me like this?"

"Kaza Adam, you must forgive me, since I am so cute!"

"You can talk that good now too? Who gave you permission? You! You! Of course I'll forgive you, my adorable cousin!" Adam sniffled, picking up Inakan, holding her close to his chest, the girl cackling with delight against his chest. Tarukan stood to one side, finding it too awkward to step into the estate while the fool was spoiling his grandniece. His eyes fell to Shikan and Arokan, each of whom told him that this was the way it was, so there was no point dwelling on it.

Of course, they wouldn't be so shameless to stop the half elf from behaving a fool, not when he was the one who watched over their Inakan, even more so than her own brother. Shikan felt a great annoyance within his heart. He thought about beating his son, but his son had already grown so powerful. No, even if it cost him his life, he needed to beat up his son for being so unreliable for his younger sister.

"I have brought gifts from the family estate," Tarukan informed, having arrived the previous evening, though he remained away to surprise the girl. Inakan smiled, greeting her granduncle, then opened up all her gifts, her mother and father reading the small book that was sent along with the gifts, with the well wishes of all her family from the Main Iyr.

Tarukan noted the glasses upon the girl's face, the glasses which were forged to not break, the glasses which gave Inakan an even greater ability to see than any of her peers, and perhaps any Iyrman. It was a set of glasses which were forged in consideration of a child, the kind forged by a father who was crazy. Adam had given a silver token to the girl, though it was expected, since it was Adam.

'You should design a weapon with your mother and father,' Adam had said. It was a slightly different gift, for it was once their siblings.

'To think you are a genius in matters like this," Tarukan thought.

"Look, daddy!" Jirot gasped one morning as he held the chonky little Maygak and Faygak, refusing to let them go out of his arms.

"Am I interrupting?" the red skinned woman asked, her horns curled behind her head, her curly hair falling to her shoulders, a longblade at her side.

"Nano!"

"I have brought the gifts from the family," Lamagak said, flashing a wide smile, her wrinkled face stretching to make her appear younger, though she was roughly Gangak's age. The old woman adored Maygak and Faygak, all the while their parents read to them, reminding them of who the various names were.

"If you wish, you may return," Lamagak said.

"If I return, there will be great trouble within the Front Iyr in such a precarious time," Gangak replied simply, her eyes falling to a particular girl. Lamagak was glad she had brought many more sweets with her, for at least, for a week or so, she could steal away the twins. This time she had made them sparkle with delight, but as Jirot and Jarot offered the sweets to their nano, Lamagak couldn't help but feel she lost, all the while Gangak sucked along the hard sweet, smiling down at her greatchildren.

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'Maygak, Faygak, since Taygak is here, I'll have to forgive you,' the half elf thought, all the while feeling a particular glare at the back of his neck.

"Cousin Adam," Taygak called.

"I was just thinking it!" Adam replied, his nerves sparking to life from hearing the young Taygak speak to him when he thought such thoughts.

"Can't a man think what he wishes within the confines of the castle that is his mind?"

"Cringe," Taygak stated, causing the half elf to cough in surprise.

"Taygak, talk."

"Of course, of course…" Adam chuckled nervously, before noting her serious look.

"Would you like to take a walk?"

"Yes." It was a beautiful place, this place called the Iyr, Adam thought. The crisp air filled his lungs, the oppressiveness that was the Iyr fell across his shoulders, and the duty that burdened the Iyr filled his heart. At any moment, he felt like he could reach for his blade.

"Cousin Adam," Taygak began in the Iyr's tongue now that they were off to one side.

"I am to nurture my sisters and cousins. They are very young, so I do not understand."

"Nurture?"

"I must watch over them and assist in teaching them, and when they grow, I will teach them the Sword of Gak."

"Oh! What a great honour for you, Taygak!" Adam's grin was as wide as the Iyr's rivers.

"The Iyr is so wise. The children, they adore you, and they listen to you well, and you have raised them so well already, so they're in such capable hands." Taygak felt the weight of expectations of his words pinning her throat. She had come to ask him for support, for she knew little of this, but her cousin, Adam, he was truly among the greatest in this kind of role. She was Taygak, she knew little of this, but after hearing his praise, she couldn't speak up.

"Taygak, even if you're nervous, it's okay," Adam said, placing his hands on her shoulders, squeezing them gently.

"If it was someone else, I'd be worried, but you've done a fine job already. Keep doing what you're doing, and if there are times you need advice, you can come to me, or Kitool, or Jaygak, even Jurot, anyone you like. Right now, though, just continue as you have, because you have raised them so well already."

"Yes, cousin Adam…"

"Taygak," Adam called, squeezing her shoulders once more.

"Don't worry. It's okay to fail."

"Okay…" The words wounded Taygak.

"Taygak, listen to me carefully," Adam said, smiling warmly.

"Do you think I became like this because I never failed? I, out of everyone here, have probably failed the most." Taygak furrowed her brows, considering his words, and the sadness in his eyes, the young woman nodding her head. Though her heart was not at ease, she was glad to have spoken with her cousin. Sometimes, even hearing the obvious helped, though for her, this was not quite so obvious. She was not like Adam, she was Taygak, and so her ability to nurture children was not quite so brilliant.

Thankfully, her little sisters and cousins were brilliant enough.

"Maygak, look at you," Lamagak cooed, tickling the girl's nose, causing her to smile wide, the girl turning her head away, giggling lightly. Gangak avoided looking at the girl, her mind racing about what Zijin had told her.

'Are you allowed to inform me of such?' Gangak asked, having accepted his offer for tea before heading to the Front Iyr with her greatchildren.

'I am an Elder, and though it may annoy the Great Elders, even I hold this much power,' Zijin replied, sipping his tea lightly. The pair sat opposite one another, an old woman who was almost his aunt, the middle aged Jin who had worked hard on dealing with three of her troublesome family members. It was dealing with Jaygak that allowed him to deal with Adam, and dealing with Adam that allowed him to deal with Jirot, but even so, it was because Zijin was Zijin that allowed him to deal with the troublesome of Jaygak.

'It was only twenty years ago I thought Chaygak would be the one to step out from the shadow that is the burden of our Gak family,' Gangak said.

'This cursed feeling known as hope, that we of the Gaks have abandoned.' Zijin had expected her to react this way, since it was about this particular topic, but he had to inform her, since she had been the one that had almost reached the sky with her sword. One might have said she had done so already, considering the feat she had managed in her life time, causing various Orders to unite to force her away, after dashing away the greatest hope of Black Mountain during her journey.

'You cannot tell her,' Gangak had eventually said.

'It is enough for her heart to break once.'

'It is time, Flame Brand,' Zijin stated.

'It is not up to you to burden the next generation with such knowledge,' Gangak stated firmly, allowing the threat to hang between them, before she finished her drink. As Gangak stared at her two grandnieces, the youngest of her brother's grandchildren, her eyes fell to Adam.

'How complicated.' A child placed a cool hand upon the back of hers. She met the child's gaze, the eldest of her grandson's children, and she smiled. The girl also smiled, her tail swaying behind her gently.