[740] – Y03.040 – Rights V

[740] – Y03.040 – Rights V

‘Crazy,’ Fred thought, staring at the young Iyrman. ‘Iyrmen are crazy!’

Nirot sipped the alcohol slowly, enjoying the attention she was receiving from all her companions, from the praise of the Iyrmen, to the shocked gazes of others. She could still feel the sting of the python’s fang. The bone and venom would have killed any other warrior, even the likes of Naqokan and Uwajin. Only she, a member of the Rot family, could have resisted the python as well as she had.

Still, she could feel the thought at the back of her head. Did she truly face the creature with her own strength? Certainly, she had no magical weapon or shield at her disposal. The creature was also focused on her because she engaged with it, even if she didn’t possess the magical items it wished for, she was a fine enough meal for its liking. However...

Nirot’s eyes peered across the area, trying to find her pair of cousins, the pair having disappeared from the party.

Laygak grilled the meat of the pythons, mostly the python Nirot slew, and offered the meat to each of the Iyrmen. He began with Nirot first, while Korin cooked for the others.

Naqokan was the first to cut a portion of her own meal for Nirot, but the other Iyrmen began to do the same. “When we return, the tale will delight our families.” She bit into the meat and chewed it slowly.

Uwajin was doing her best not to nap, silently chewing on her meat, but she gave a grunt and a nod.

“It is a great tale to bring back for your four brothers,” Faool said.

“Turot will need to become Elder Peace if he wishes to match it,” Laygak joked.

“Turot may do as he pleases,” Nirot said. “I will bring back the glory so he may live freely.”

“Don’t you believe in him?” Laygak asked.

Nirot growled quietly. “Are you picking a fight?”

“Why don’t you answer the question?”

“Turot and Asorot may do as they please, just like Gurot and Murot,” Nirot replied. “I will bring back enough glory so they will feel no pressure.”

Laygak chuckled, though what else could he say? It wasn’t as though he could do the same as Nirot, who had earned such a grand tale for herself. His eyes fell to Faool, who was also lost in his own thought. The young man had done so well, for a man of his age to freeze in place the pythons, such a thing had only been matched by Kitool, and yet he was younger than her by the time he had learnt the technique.

Naqokan sipped at her alcohol too. Her body only ached lightly, the young woman having been fortunate enough not to take a heavy blow, unlike Nirot and Uwajin. Her eyes fell to Uwajin, who had fallen asleep. The fang had torn away at her side and the venom had marked her skin, a mark she could bring back to the Iyr to confirm the tale.

‘...’ Naqokan glanced aside to try and find Adam, though he had disappeared with Jurot. It would be difficult to impress him if she didn’t take many blows. She barely had the chance to play with his children, either, since she was so busy during the first month. ‘I will need to work harder.’

“You did well,” Kitool said, placing a hand on Faool’s shoulder.

“Yes,” Faool replied, sipping his alcohol slowly, falling deeper into thought. His fist had swollen slightly from the effort of stunning the pythons using his great strength, the young man too eager. The throbbing was a good throbbing, though, a throbbing he could be proud of.

“Laygak,” Jaygak called, patting the ground beside her. “You did well.”

“I did not do much,” Laygak replied.

“What you did do, you did well.”

Laygak raised his brow, his eyes full of doubt. “Are your wounds healed?”

“What wounds?” Jaygak replied.

“There is no need for you to minimise your own contributions to make me appear greater than I was, cousin Jaygak.”

“Cousin Jaygak? You’re too old for that, Laygak.”

Adam and Jurot sipped their drinks from atop the wall, staring out onto the land while the evening sun began to fall to bring in the dusk.

“I can’t believe it,” Adam whispered. “I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have been able to do as well as her. I mean... no magic axe, no magic shield, no magic?”

“It is a great tale,” Jurot confirmed. Nirot had claimed the battle as her own, a solo victory. Yes, they had handled the other pythons, but she had faced the python herself.

“Insane.”

“Adam?”

“Yes?”

Jurot remained silent for a long while, wondering if he should ask. He inhaled deeply, and as though ripping off a plaster, he turned to face Adam. “Did you help her?”

Adam narrowed his eyes slightly, frowning slightly. “Nirot became an Expert because she adventured with us.”

“Did you assist during the bout?”

“No.”

Jurot nodded, before looking out to the horizon. “Thank you.”

“She should be thanking you, you’re the one who let her fight it alone,” Adam stated, letting out a disapproving sigh.

“We could only do so because of you.”

“I could only do so because of you.”

Jirot remained silent, unsure of how he was able to do such a thing. “They did so well...”

“Yeah.”

“I can feel the pride inside me.”

Adam threw a look to his brother. “If you’re acting adorable, then it must be good.”

“I am not acting adorable,” Jurot replied.

Adam laughed in response.

Jurot thought deeply about the swirling emotions within him. To watch as his cousin, Nirot, defeat a python by herself... ‘Is this how it feels?’ He thought back to his mother, who listened intently to his tales with a smile. The way she beamed at him. It was the same kind of look she gave to her daughter whenever she did something well. The way all the parents did so for their children. Jurot had felt it slightly, when his sister had learned to crawl, when she had learned to walk, when she had learned to talk. ‘She speaks so well...’

He had never felt this level of pride in being an Iyrman before.

“The boys are going to be so happy,” Adam said, his thoughts on Turot and Asorot. “Gurot and Murot probably won’t understand it, but they’ll be happy too, I’m sure.”

“Nirot’s nieces and nephews will be happy too,” Jurot said.

Adam smiled. “Yeah. I’m sure they will be.”

He's not wrong.