[899.2] – Y03.199.2 – Twilight Days II

[899.2] – Y03.199.2 – Twilight Days II

As night fell across the fort, the queerness of the Twilight Month taking hold across the land, Jurot sipped at his peach wine. Adam half lay within his chair, feeling the sweet embrace of slumber call to him.

“You and I will marry soon,” Jurot said.

“Huh?” Adam replied, blinking wildly. “We can’t do that, Jurot, we’re brothers.”

“...”

“Yeah.” Adam smiled, stretching out his neck from side to side.

“We will no longer be men. You are already a father, but you will become a husband, and I will become both husband and father.”

“Yeah,” Adam replied, feeling a tingle within his chest. ‘Yeah.’

Jurot crossed his arms, falling into thought for a long moment. “How does one become a good father and husband?”

“You just need to treat your children a

Jirot isn't my favourite, but I love her so much.

nd wife well, that’s all.”

“Pam is no Iyrman. She has agreed to the Iyr’s rules, but they are not easy.”

“You just need to trust her.”

Jurot slowly bowed his head, though remained with his arms crossed. “I must do my best.”

“You will. In our own ways, we’ll do good. I’m sure there will be times where I am better suited, and other times when you are better suited. Even now we both have our own strengths, what with me and my adoration, and you and your sensibleness, outside of your need to kill everything.”

“I do not wish to kill everything, only that which will bring honour to my family,” Jurot corrected.

“That’s almost everything.”

“Almost,” Jurot agreed.

“I only meant it as a joke, don’t agree that easy, Jurot,” Adam replied, his eyes meeting his brother’s for a moment. ‘Why do you have to be so damn scary all the time?’ “Anyway, you can lean on me whenever you need, and I’ll lean on you whenever I need.”

Jurot nodded, pouring his brother and himself a drink.

Not far from the brothers, the pair of demons stared at the stars from the walls of the fort. They both shared a bottle of wine, eating the fried snacks from the wedding which were rapidly running out. The pair remained silent, staring at the stars, hearing the wind and the chatter.

‘I didn’t get to admire any hunks this year,’ Lucy thought, letting out a soft sigh. She reached up to her throat, tracing an almost unseen mark. Though she travelled with a Priest of Life, she didn’t want to lose her life for a third time.

Mara remained beside Lucy. She thought of her previous strength, still so far away from her current form. ‘A few decades and I will regain my strength...’

As morning fell across the fort, all gathered to eat, save for the pair of Iyrmen walking the walls. Adam held Larot on his lap, feeding the boy the mushy fruit from the bowl. The commonfolk noted the look of affection Adam had for a demon, and their eyes wandered to the pair of demons who remained within the fort, each eating their food quietly, lost within their thoughts.

“Daddy, soht peas,” Jirot called, holding up her hot potato.

“Of course, my dear,” Adam said, taking the tiny wooden shaker, slowly sprinkling the salt onto the potato, doing the same for his son, who also held up his potato. “My adorable little babies!” Adam fawned over his children in the morning, before allowing them to go play with the other children, including the new children who had joined the business.

Adam watched the pair play, with Lanarot and Gurot joining them, while his triplets all lazed around near him, exhausted from doing their busy work of nothing in particular. Jurot stood beside Adam, feeling his brother’s thoughts.

“Jurot, will you come with me to the Front Iyr?”

“I’m sure, but I’ve only just hatched. Give me a few decades, a century even, and we’ll see if I don’t beat that bas-,”

Strength Save

D20 + 9 = 12 (3)

Failure!

Health: 91 -> 72

The earth shifted beneath Adam’s feet while Lord Stokmar held out their hand, flinging Adam back against the nearby wall, the half elf slamming into it roughly, though his legs burned with the effort to keep him upright.

“With a flick of my finger, I could crush you,” Lord Stokmar said, noting the lack of the Iyrman’s response.

“You know, Lord Stokmar, they say you’re unrivalled upon the earth,” Adam said, panting for air. “Unfortunately for you, the earth is under the heavens.”

“With a mouth like that, do you intend to make the entire world your enemy?” Lord Stokmar asked, thinking of who Adam was speaking of when he was speaking of the one he wanted to beat.

Adam inhaled deeply, rubbing the back of his neck. “My children are my world.”

Strength Save

D20 + 9 = 24 (15)

Failure!

Health: 72 -> 58

The earth shifted under Adam’s feet once more, slamming him against the wall once more, with the half elf dropping to the side.

‘Cringe,’ Lord Stokmar thought, recalling the word through its context. They understood what the word meant upon meeting Adam. “The thought of you defeating me is laughable.”

“I wouldn’t dare to face you, Lord Stokmar, not unless it was that serious,” Adam said.

“The Iyr would dare not to threaten me.”

Adam’s lips began to widen into that kind of smile which would cause Lord Stokmar to attack him once more. “My brother speaks to you respectfully because he wishes to do so, not because he is compelled. Ain’t that right, Jurot?”

“Yes,” Jurot replied, without skipping a beat. “Lord Stokmar. You have struck my brother twice.”

“What of it, child of...” Lord Stokmar paused for a moment. “Rot.”

“I wish to be struck too.”

The silence of an Iyrman’s speech filled the air.

It was the next evening when the pair returned back to the fort, Adam dropping to his knees and wincing as his children embraced him.

“What adorable children I have! Did anyone bully you?” Adam asked as he peppered them with kisses.

“No!” Jirot replied. “Anyone bully dadd?”

“Hmm. A little?”

“Oh dear!” Jirot gasped. “I help, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Who is it?” Jirot asked, standing up taller, her fists clenched at her side as she readied herself.

“Don’t worry, my dear,” Adam brushed the girl’s curly hair tenderly. “Daddy will deal with it.”

Jirot squirmed slightly before taking her father’s hand when it was free, stroking the back of it. “You ah bully, you tell me. I tell babo and I deal with it, okay?”

“What? Are you going to bully me by telling babo?”

Jirot smirked. “Yes.”