Chương 1711: [1608] – Y07.108 – A New Dawn III

"You look good with silver hair," the Aswadian said.

"You look good with a silver head," the Iyrman replied. The Aswadian fell into raucous laughter, his alcohol stained teeth shining brightly under the evening sun, his scale armour shuddering along with his chest. He reached up to his bald head, brushing along it, and with the evening sun no longer beating so heavily upon his head, his bald head was free to enjoy the cool evening breeze.

"Daddy..." Jirot whispered against her father's leaf shaped ears, her eyes sparkling up at him with expectation.

"Jiddo," the half elf called, raising a hand towards the old Aswadian, daring to interrupt their reunion, but he could do so, for the old man was speaking to his grandmother.

"Betta, you have returned," the Aswadian called, approaching, clasping the young half elf's forearm.

"It is good to see you in good health."

"You as well, jiddo," the half elf replied, a warm smile upon his lips.

"I'm sorry for interrupting your reunion, but I want to introduce my wife and children to you."

"If it was anyone else," the old Aswadian replied, though as his eyes fell across the children, he smiled, and seeing one of them beaming in utter awe, he knew which held the name Jirot.

"I am Afraz, though I am told you know me by my epithet."

"Drake of the Hill," Jirot whispered, the girl smiling shyly towards the old man.

"You must be the one called Jirot?" Jirot's lips formed a tiny circle.

"Yes! I am Jirot!

This is my brother, his name is Jarot, named after my great grandfather, and this is my sister, Konarot, she is the eldest sister, and then Kirot, who is the second eldest, and Karot, who is so sweet, like my twin brother, and this is my father, his name is Adam, but you must call him Mo Adam, and this is my mother, her name is Vonda, but you must call her Ray Vonda, and she is the sweetest, and my daddy, he is so troublesome, and you are Drake of the Hill, Kal Afraz, and you know my great grandmother, Gangak, they call her Flame Brand, and she is so strong, so strong."

"Yes, you are Jirot indeed," Afraz replied, causing the girl to blink, and she flushed, hiding within her father's chest.

"It is I, Afraz, Drake of the Hill, this old man who has travelled Aswadasad, caused his trouble, and has now retired in this humble place." Jirot peeked up towards the old man once more, who then turned to greet the Ray politely and respectfully, the woman smiling in return.

"Let us allow jiddo to reunite with nano, since it has been many years since they last saw one another, okay?"

"Daddy..."

"Oh my, oh my, our Jirot treats me this way all the time, but she will even treat her nano like this?" Jirot gasped, holding up a finger towards her father.

"Do not say that ever again! How can you say this? Mummy? Mummy! You see? How he can say this? Mummy! By the Divine, mummy!" Vonda blinked to collect herself, but swiftly claimed her daughter from her father, and then her son, claiming them both. She smiled towards Afraz, who returned the smile, and he politely excused himself to speak with Gangak, however...

"Oh my gosh, mummy! I need to sit with nano, she must be feeling so lonely!" Jirot declared, and after planting a firm kiss upon her mother's cheek, she slipped out of her mother's arms easily, out of her mother's mercy, and swiftly darted towards her nano, who awaited for the twins to settle themselves upon her lap, as Afraz watched. Afraz turned to look towards Adam, who smiled, as innocent as any virgin, and the old man smirked playfully, approaching the old woman. Love what you're reading?

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"You have grown old," Gangak teased.

"You have changed too," Afraz admitted, settling himself opposite the woman, thanks to Otkan and Jarot stepping away, one far more eagerly than the other, and the other only shuffling a short ways away.

"How many years has it been now?"

"Too long," Afraz admitted. Gangak smiled, and seeing the way the old Aswadian looked to the past, she let out a soft sigh.

"I see you have met my great grandchildren."

"How could I not meet them, when their father is so eager to reveal them, and little Jirot is so excited to see this old fool?" Jirot flushed, her eyes meeting with her nano, the girl burying her head into the old woman's bosom with uncharacteristic shyness.

"Our Jirot is so meek today."

"Nano..."

"It is so adorable to see you this way, my little troublemaker." Jirot gasped.

"Nano! How can you say this?"

"I am your great grandmother, so I can say this."

"Ah. Of coas."

"Of course."

"Of coas," the twins replied together.

"This is Jirot, though she requires no introduction, and this is little Jarot, named after my cousin, the Mad Dog."

"Mad Dog?"

"Ah, you would know him as... Undying?"

"Ahn! Undying! He is here too?"

"You must have noticed him already." Afraz's eyes fell onto the Iyrman with one wooden arm and one wooden leg, bowing his head respectfully to the old man, while the Mad Dog grunted in response.

"Babo! This is Drake of the Hill! You must show respect!" The old Jarot blinked. For a moment he thought about killing the fellow, but as his greatdaughter held up a blade like finger, he stilled his bloodthirsty heart.

"I am Undying, though many know me as the Mad Dog."

"I have heard your tale too, and the tales of many here," Afraz said, his eyes falling upon an Iyrman who was to Aswadasad, as Jarot was to Aldland.

"Jirot, do you wish to speak your father's tales to the Drake of the Hill?" Jirot blinked. Her lips formed a gentle smile, a smile that was too shy for her, and she nodded her head slowly.

"It is because she adores your tales, she is usually not this shy."

"Are my tales so good?"

"Yes! You are my great grandmother's best friend, so your tales are the best!"

"My tales are the best because I am your great grandmother's best friend?"

"Yes! You are big and strong, and your tales with my great grandmother, they are the best!"

"I see..." Afraz smiled.

"I would like to hear these tales of your father, if you are willing."

"I will do it!" Jirot assured, quickly beginning the tale of her father, though Gangak pinched her nose and requested she start with the year's tale, for the old man must have heard the tale of previous years in the previous year.

Afraz listened intently to the little girl's words, for she spoke of her father, with a tenderness only a child could know, and though she had bullied her father so much already, when she spoke of his tales, it was done without a hint of the bullying, instead the girl spoke with such pride, for she was Jirot, her father's daughter, and it was from that fool of a half elf she had inherited her troublesomeness, so Afraz had gathered.

Thankfully, the girl, thanks to Gangak's gentle pinching, spoke part of the tale with hushed whispers, for the girl was not allowed to speak of that matter so openly, even within the village.

'The Fariq, Fariq Thanwi, and even the New Moon?' Afraz thought, though considering how much the half elf had told him the previous year, it didn't seem that far out there. His eyes then trailed towards Gangak, who smiled, for it was her grandson who caused such a great mess before him, all but confirming the fact he was her grandson.

"Your father is so strong! You must be so proud."

"Just a little bit," the girl said, flushing lightly.

"Ah! You speak our tongue so well! Where did you learn?"

"I learnt it in the Iyr with my ahm, ahm Dunes, and my aila, Alladi Sara," the girl said, motioning a hand to the beautiful purple skinned devilkin who was enjoying the goat meat and rice. The old Afraz beamed down at the girl, and though he was still slightly drunk, the old man had kept many of his thoughts to himself, most which were innocent, but he did not wish to even accidentally misspeak.

"Little Jarot, betta, I see that your sister is so smart, but when I look at you, I see that you are so strong." Little Jarot flushed, the boy smirking shyly at the old man, not noticing the way the old man was looking at him with such solemn eyes.

'So it was this one...' Afraz thought, still smiling down at the boy.

"Since you are named after your great grandfather, who defeated the Full Moon, and you are your father's son, he, too, who had defeated the New Moon, it is only right."

"Jiddo'akbar, you are so wise," Jirot said, holding up a thumbs up. The old man chuckled, returning a thumbs up back to the girl.

"I am so wise, for I am so old."

"I am wise, even though I am so young."

"You are?"

"Of coas!" came the response, and Afraz allowed the word to echo as he chuckled.

"I see! I see!" The old man smiled wide now that the girl had opened out of her shell. Gangak smiled too, glad she was able to show off her greatchildren to the old man, though kept an eye upon him, the old fool who would follow her around with such bright eyes, with such a bright heart, with a blinding optimism. How the times have changed.