[898.1] – Y03.198.1 – Heart of Ice I

[898.1] – Y03.198.1 – Heart of Ice I

Elder Zijin checked his schedule for the rest of the month, while also checking his schedule for the last month of the year. ‘So much work...’ He checked the schedule for a particular half elf out of habit. ‘Ah. He has decided against working for the rest of the month.’

Zijin glanced across the last few days in which Adam refused to work in order to play with his children and get them used to Vonda. Out of the corner of his eyes he noticed a particular mark he had made, estimating her arrival.

‘Oh, yes.’

“Elder Zijin!” called an aide, causing the Elder to stand immediately.

“What is it?”

The purple hue of dusk filled the air, filling even the crevices of the shared estate of a particular family, and the ice all around it.

Pam blinked, having just stepped into the shared estate, with Adam and Jurot leading the young woman and her father into the Main Iyr.

Adam blinked, his body moving forward as he processed what he saw. He dropped to his knees and embraced his eldest daughter, who was busy screaming and sobbing, causing Adam’s breath to hitch, feeling the chill of the ice entering his lungs. The chill invaded every pour of his body.

“What happened?” Adam asked, his voice having never been so bland of emotion previously, his eyes glued to Vonda.

Vonda winced, unable to feel her arm, which was near frozen, her blood dripping out beside her. Vonda prayed to Mother Soza for warmth and life, her wounds quickly healing. “I was speaking with Kirot and Karot, and I heard a cry beside me.” Vonda was glad she had managed to cover her face just in time, otherwise the blast of ice could have blinded her.

“Konarot, what...” Adam held the girl close to his chest, the girl still sobbing.

“No!”

“What do you mean?”

“No! No!”

Adam brushed her hair gently, feeling a dagger pushing deep within his heart. ‘Oh, my Konarot.’ “Did you do this?”

Konarot’s face was still contorted half within a cry and half in anger. She pointed to Vonda. “No!”

Adam inhaled deeply once more before he pulled back away from the girl. “Go sit in the corner.” Adam’s voice trembled slightly, but he cleared his throat and repeated himself. “Go sit in the corner.”

Konarot stared up at her father with a pout, clenching her fists wide on either side of her. Kirot and Karot stared at their elder sibling with shock. They hadn’t seen her blast like that since they were out in the wild trying to search for their father. Konarot blinked a few times before she stormed off to the corner and sat down, her tail burying into the snow behind her.

“I’m sorry, Vonda,” Adam said, undoing his scarf and wrapping it around her neck. “I’ll discipline her properly.”

The other Iyrmen kept the children away, the older Jarot with the twins against his chest, knelt within the snow nearby. The twins remained silent, their eyes wide, their eyes judging the mood by glancing all across the adults’ face. Jirot looked up towards her greatfather, her lips shut firmly tight, her eyes saying all she needed to.

‘What the hell?’ Adam glanced around, glad to see no one else had been hurt. Adam wasn’t sure what would have happened if Konarot had hurt another child, though surely the Iyr wouldn’t have done anything to her? ‘I don’t want to know the answer to that question...’ Adam’s heart began to beat harder as a pair of Iyrmen appeared.

“What happened?” Elder Zijin asked, feeling the mood in the air. His eyes snapped to the usual suspects, from Adam, to Jarot, to Jaygak, to Jirot. Then his eyes fell to Konarot, who sat by herself in the corner.

Vonda explained the situation calmly to the Elder, while Sonarot eventually took him aside to confirm what the Ray said.

‘How did she...’ Adam let out a soft sigh. After a few minutes of thought, he called for his daughter who stood and shuffled her way towards her father, her tail leaving a trail behind her. She stood, head bowed, lips forming a large pout, her hands clenched firmly beside her.

“What happened?”

“Huu.” The girl sniffled, taking in a soft breath. “She is not mommy.”

“Daddy is going to get married to her, which is going to make her your mummy.”

“She is not wife.”

“She will be.”

“She is not...”

“Konarot...” Adam swallowed, feeling the gaze of everyone around. “Konarot, Vonda, follow me.” Adam turned, seeing the girl reach for his hand from the corner of his eyes. He almost ignored it, but his heart sunk and he outstretched a pinky for the girl.

Once they were near the corner of the courtyard, Adam dropped to a knee. “Konarot, listen to me. Vonda is kind. She’s sweet. She’s helped your father so much. One time, your daddy fell into a deep hole. It was Vonda who fell with me, she reached out her hand to try and help me, but she fell with me. She knew it was dangerous, but she still helped me. She’s always helped me, so many times on our journeys. How can you attack her? You shouldn’t be attacking anyone, never mind Vonda who is so sweet and kind to everyone.”

Konarot stared down at the snow, her leaf shaped ears falling.

“Yeah, that’s right. You should feel ashamed for what you did to Vonda, who has always treated you so nicely.”

Konarot shook as she began to cry, her face contorting as tears fell down her face.

Wisdom Save (Advantage)

D20 + 4 = 8 (4)

D20 + 4 = 18 (14)

Adam’s heart sunk once more, and a deeper chill fell within him, but he crossed his arms and waited expectantly.

“Sohree, daddee,” the girl sobbed.

“Why are you sorry to me? You should apologise to Vonda.” Adam remained waiting with his arms crossed.

“Sohree, Vondah,” the girl sobbed.

“She will be your mummy soon. If you don’t want to call her mummy, that’s fine, but then you can’t call me daddy.”

“No?” Konarot asked, sobbing harder as the tears fell down her face.

“No.”

Health: 85 -> 86

Jarot stepped aside with the Shaman, who poured the tea to warm them up. “Her veins glowed blue gently for a moment.”

Lokat replied with a bow of her head, finishing the tea.

Konarot eventually calmed down within her father’s arms. Adam held the girl, sipping his tea as he rocked, trying to keep himself warm. He could feel the cold seep deep within him, though as always, tea forced it away.

“My baby.” Adam brushed her cheek tenderly, feeling his Health seep away.

Health: 85 -> 84

“Daddy.”

“You’re my big girl. You’re Konarot, my most sensible Konarot. You always look so well after your younger siblings. I’ll love you forever, so you don’t have to worry about that.” Adam blew a raspberry into her neck.

Health: 84 -> 83

“I trust you the most out of all the children, but don’t tell them that, so you cannot betray my trust, okay?” Adam pinched her cheek, narrowing his eyes at her playfully.

“Okay.” She reached out to hold her father’s hand in her own, her eyes glued into her father’s. She then leaned in to press her cheek against her father’s as they cuddled.

Health: 83 -> 82

“Cuddle your father all you want, my princess. What is all this Health for but to cuddle you?” Adam brushed his cheek against hers tenderly.

“Daddy, staying?”

“That’s right, my sweet.”

“Okay.” The girl hugged her father tighter.

Lokat wasn’t sure if she could ask for Adam to leave now. ‘...’

“I will return to watch over Kirot and Karot,” Jarot said, hoisting himself up from his seat. He reached over to brush the girl’s hair, before leaning down to kiss her forehead. “If the Shamans bully you, you must tell your babo.”

“Okay.” Konarot waved her hand as the old man left.

Jarot stepped out of the cabin. He inhaled the crisp air, reaching up to brush his cheek, feeling the frost against him. ‘Why am I training but to watch over you, my Konarot?’

Lokat spent the next hours testing the girl, checking her breath, then feeling the girl’s bare skin. She sipped red potion after red potion as she continued her tests, noting the chill growing deeper towards the girl’s stomach.

“Was she angry?” Lokat asked.

“Yeah,” Adam replied, rubbing his hands and his cheek to keep himself warm.

Health: 89 -> 90

‘It’s getting slower,’ Adam thought.

Lokat warmed up her hands before she pressed them against her stomach, gently pressing into the girl’s skin gently, downing potion after potion, between warming up her hands. Konarot’s tail swayed with every touch.

“I can heal you,” Adam offered.

“It is not required,” Lokat assured.

“It will warm you up too.”

“Okay.”

Adam held the Shaman’s hands between his pressing the girl, dipping into his Lay on Hands with singular points. “If you it stronger, let me know.”

“This is fine.” Lokat continued to press against the girl’s tummy, until she finished pressing against the girl’s stomach. She inhaled deeply, unsure of how to proceed. She reached for the girl’s tail and did the same, Konarot doing her best to keep her tail still. “Stay here tonight. I will cook you soup and check you later.”

“What do we say to Shaman Lokat for helping?” Adam asked.

“Thank you,” the girl replied, tapping her chin.

Lokat began to cook the soup, though stepped out, glancing towards her side, towards the aide. She could see the faint outline of Elder Shaman sipping her tea, with a red sparrow staring right at her.

Once it was night, the daddy daughter duo cuddled together, the girl’s body having warmed up until it was bearable. Adam held the girl tightly against his chest.

“You can’t act up to cuddle me like this, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Promise?”

“Pramis.”

Adam kissed the top of her head, ruffling her silver hair. The girl slowly fell asleep, while Adam stared at his daughter’s face, noting the scar across her cheek. ‘The world is so unfair to you, my Konarot. I didn’t even use an Omen and...’

Adam let out a soft sigh, before closing his eyes to sleep.

No! How can this happen to our Konarot?