Chương 1656: [1558] – Y07.058 – Shadows Over Arisa III

As the sun bore upon Aswadasad with its searing rays, a Ray rolled her shoulders, the ache of her children's affections searing her deeply. After her morning bath, with the children who worried for their mother, their father eased their hearts.

"Mummy was so excited to sleep with you all that she ended up giving you so much love instead of sleeping well," Adam mused, tutting lightly.

"Darling, since you are so wise, you need your strength for your wisdom." Vonda wasn't entirely sure what Adam meant, though seeing how little Jirot nodded confidently at his words, a gentle smile peeked across her lips.

"It seems I was too excited."

"Mummy…" Konarot flushed, her tail swaying behind her, displacing the water with greater might than expected of the thin red tail. Once they finished their baths, the group gathered to pray lightly in the morning, with Vonda leading the prayers, though she prayed shortly, for the sake of the children. It was only a few minutes, allowing each of the children to speak light words of prayer. Also, their father.

"Mother's Mercy. Mother's Mercy. Mother's Mercy." The half elf decided not to read too deeply into why his wife picked him to speak the words she would often mutter to deal with his foolishness, though since it was his darling wife, it was probably because she showed him such mercy. As the group made their way to the courtyard, now filled with their companions, as well as three new faces, though with their forehead tattoos, they were no strangers.

They sat near those of Black Mountain, speaking with them calmly, though Kal Lani and Kal Korin both wore faces of anxiety, while Sara calmly sipped her tea, for while they may have been powerful figures, they were assigned to watch over those of Black Mountain, and the Iyr would not aggravate them. Although, she was certain they were here to watch over a particular troublemaker.

"It seems it may be a little too hot for mummy, so mummy might need to rest up for the morning," Adam said.

"What an abominable place," the girl said, causing her father to choke, the half elf coughing, somehow choking on the air.

"Dear, you cannot say that!" Jirot closed her eyes, then twitched lightly, doing her best not to laugh, but then looked up to the side, approaching the young man.

"Ahm, it is too warm, yes?" Korin could feel a particular gaze upon the back of his head, stuck between a dragon and a tiger, perhaps the two most vicious girls he knew. However, he was Aswadian, so how could he say such a thing?

"Of course, my dear niece! You are right!"

"Of coas." Sara brushed the corner of her ear lightly, feeling a stray hair, but at the very least the fool made the right decision. Jirot then turned towards the newcomers, eyeing them up.

"Hello, babo."

"You must be my dear Jivar!" Takvar said, lifting the girl up, pressing his cheek against hers, the girl pulling back lightly, though she blinked, and then held the old man's head.

"Oh! Do you know of this old man?"

"You are babo Takvar!" Jirot accused, the girl holding the old man's head.

"You have heard of me?"

"Babo always tells me about you! He says you…" The girl turned to look towards Okvar, who smiled innocently.

"Babo always says you are such a meanie!" Okvar blinked.

'When did I say such a thing?'

"Ah? My brother? He has betrayed me so?" Jirot smirked lightly, for she was not lying, she was just joking, and her smirk gave way to a snicker, and then laughter, laughing with the old man.

'My daughter knows everyone…' Adam thought, impressed that she was able to know so many. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"Elder Peace sent so many?" Jirot asked, tilting her head. Takvar blinked, leaning in to stare into the girl's eyes.

"How do you know Elder Peace has sent us?" The girl looked at all the faces, then their tattoos, and side eyed Takvar.

"I know what I know?"

'Elder Peace did not lie…' Takvar smiled, reaching up to poke the girl's nose.

"Do you know why we have come?"

"You have come to protect the Order of Black Mountain?" the girl asked, noting how they were sitting so close with the Order, perhaps to speak of their tales, but they sent two women and a man, one for each, like they had done so with her and her siblings and aunts.

"Why did you give up such a smart girl?" Takvar grumbled, holding the girl close to his chest, though he realised the mistake he had made, only for Okvar to rectify it when the old Iyrman held up Jarot and ruffled his hair. No, perhaps his younger brother had managed to surpass his own wisdom, for swiftly the girl was within Okvar's arms too, the old Iyrman holding the pair. No, of course his younger brother was not as wise, as a shadow loomed over him, and a strong hand gripped his shoulder.

"Babo!" cried the pair, and within a beat, they were within their favour babo's arms. The old man held his twins within his arms, but his vicious aura did not dissipate, holding the newcomers within a predator's glare.

"Babo, who beat you up?" Jirot asked, causing the old man's vicious aura to complete disappear.

"Beat me up? Who can beat this babo of yours? I was playing with your papo a little this morning, that is all!" Jarot huffed, pulling his twins closer to his chest, only for their papo to appear, heavily bruised, having been beaten well by his grandfather, though his eyes were bright.

"Babo, you cannot bully papo like this…" Jirot grumbled, her tone full of worry, reaching up to her forehead.

"What am I to do with you?"

"Brother…" Lanarot called, rushing over to her eldest brother, holding his hand. At first she pouted, but seeing the look within her brother's eyes, her pout deepened.

"Grandfather! You must spar with me too!"

'At least we do not need to worry of the Rot family for the next half century,' Takvar thought, not that he would have worried for them for another century beyond, for it was the Rot family. Even if every Rot here somehow lost their ability to fight, the Rot family would still be able to gather its strength with some effort. His eyes then fell to Gangak, who squeezed Karot's cheek, the boy's tail swaying swiftly.

The Black Lions nearby, each tasked with escorting this group, although mostly to watch over a few of their troublemakers, eyed up the newcomers, the three Iyrmen, each who were at least a realm beyond them. It had been a while since Elder Peace had summoned such figures, for beyond the Ten Paragons, there were also the various warriors who took a slightly different role, the kind that made it so their names were only well known within the Iyr, but they were no less than any of the Ten Paragons.

In fact, they were certain that the woman who wielded the shortblades was one of the Commanders… Kal Uli broke his thoughts. The Iyr, like the nations around, had their own elite squads, and though they hadn't stepped out into the Iyr in quite some time, most of them barely spoken as myths of old, there was no need for him to worry about them, for if the Iyr revealed such squads to the world in their entirety, it was too late.

Uli, in his estimations, had surmised the Iyr's greatest warriors to match every single one of the Orders combined, and that was a conservative estimation. Thankfully, breakfast broke away many of their worries, as the half elf fed his younger sister from his fingers, while Lanarot spoiled her eldest brother.

"You have to eat well to grow big and strong," Adam informed Amalrot.

"You have to eat well to recover so you can fight," Lanarot informed Jurot.

"No! You cannot grow bigger! You are so adorable as you are!" Adam peppered the girl's forehead with kisses.

"No! You cannot only fight! I will fight too!" Lanarot grumbled. Saywir eyed up the half elf, who certainly had corrupted his sister into becoming a fool.

'It is no wonder you have sent me.' Difan sipped her tea, feeling a gaze upon her, and she met Dogek's gaze. The pair held one another's gazes, and Difan allowed a smile to slip on her face.

'Do you think we do not trust you? Relax, Duteous, we know that you will do so if you are requested, but…' Shaool kept Takvar within her sight for a short while, for last she had recalled, he had been a Grandmaster but a decade ago, and he should have returned a few years previous. Yet, certainly, the man before her today was at least a Paragon, and she would have some difficulty against him. As her eyes scanned the trio, her eyes fell to her grandnephew, who shirked under his daughter's gaze.

"You think I will abandon mummy?" Jirot said, holding up her fork threateningly.

"Dear…" Adam leaned in to whisper.

"If mummy stays here, we can go to the market and buy so many gifts to spoil her."

"Daddy! You are really eating my head! Who gave you permission to be so wise?" Jirot grumbled as she looked away, her heart aching, for she was too afraid to step out, but at the same time she wanted to buy so many things for her mother secretly to make her happy.

'Daddy! At times like this, you are a genius?'

'Should I set brother upon them?' Shaool thought, finding it annoying that Elder Peace would send so many after them. However, if she was going send a number to assassinate Adam, and she wasn't going to trust in them, wouldn't she have sent at least five? Baztam's eyes fell across the trio of newcomers. The chances of them wanting to assassinate Adam was close to zero. It wasn't zero. It could never be zero. However, while he remained, and while he possessed that token, he would make the chances zero.

Indeed, he had been given the token purely for a singular purpose, and that was to keep all the other Great Elders, even the Chief himself, in line. Even so, Baztam considered the half elf, and thought they certainly should kill him, just in case.