[899.6] – Y03.199.6 – Twilight Days VI

[899.6] – Y03.199.6 – Twilight Days VI

“Thank you for the sword,” Amira said, pouring Adam a cup of tea.

“Why are you thanking me? You should thank the Enchanter.” Adam smiled innocently, noting the way Amira was looking at him, slowly sipping her tea as their eyes remained focused within one another’s. Adam glanced towards Dunes, raising his brows.

“I trust her,” Dunes replied, trying his best to remain confident.

Adam slowly nodded, smiling a little wider. “Welcome aboard, Manager Amira.”

“I am a Manager too?” Amira asked, though it hadn’t been the first time she had been informed she held such a rank within the business.

“I’m not stupid enough to treat you less than a Manager.”

“You are smart when you need to be?” Amira joked.

“Something like that.” Adam sipped the tea gently, relaxing within the fort alongside the rest of his companions.

‘Greater Enhanced,’ Fred thought, sitting by himself in the corner. He stared at the sword in front of him, unsheathing the blade, noting the faint runes against the blade, before running his finger along the cool metal. It was almost ice cold. The blade was different than Lifeblade in many ways, mostly due to how much more offensively focused the blade was. He had already used it a few times, and he had sliced through the beasts like a hot knife through butter, or he supposed, a cold knife through... something. He was able to strike harder three times per day, the cold seeping into his enemies.

‘Not much different than the Duchess’ weapon?’ Fred wondered how similar the blades were, keeping the other thought in the back of his mind. ‘He isn’t crazy enough to create the ‘xact same weapon for me.’

The time in the fort became more lively, mostly thanks to a pair of troublemakers.

“I am not mommy, I am not daddy, I am Demon Load,” Jirot stated confidently towards the other children.

“I am Load Stokmah,” little Jarot said, not quite as confidently as his elder twin.

Alex blinked. “That’s not how you play the game.”

Jirot inhaled deeply. She glanced towards the demon who was relaxing on the side, the girl’s eyes beckoning her for support.

“Jirot, if you want to be the Demon Lord, come play with me,” Lucy said, finding the anxious eyes of the children far too much for her soul. ‘I’m not even that scary! It’s not fair the Iyrmen get to move around peacefully but they look at me like this.’

Jirot darted towards Lucy. “We cannot puhlay Demon Load chess.” The girl narrowed her eyes towards the Demon Lord.

“Okay.”

“No?”

“No.”

“Okay,” the girl confirmed, while Jarot smiled up towards Mara shyly.

Mara smiled in return, reaching out to take little Jarot’s hand within her own.

As the days passed, more beasts appeared, though Adam remained at the fort. He blinked as a beast turned to red mist.

“I didn’t realise you were that scary, Lord Morkarai.”

Morkarai crushed more earth between his hands, before he tossed the ball made of earth towards another beast, like a cannonball it splattered the beasts it slammed through. “It has been a while since I’ve fought.”

Wow!

Tariel tapped at her book. It was the first time she had seen the giant’s famous artillery, which had formed from their great raw strength.

Sonarot brushed the girl’s hair tenderly. “My granddaughter is so well behaved.”

“Yes!”

Little Jarot chewed on his raw carrot, his eyes meeting his father’s, the pair sharing a knowing look.

“Nobby is married?” Konarot asked.

“That’s right.”

“Merl is Nobby’s mommy?”

“She’s not Nobby’s mommy, she’s Nobby’s wife. Once they have children, then she will be a mommy to that child.”

“Not my mommy?”

“No.”

Konarot nodded her head. She glanced towards Ray Vonda, who had taken some attention away from the married couple, the young woman awkwardly trying to deflect the attention respectfully.

As the wedding passed, figures approached on the horizon. Several figures drew closer towards the village, and if they were travelling at this time of year, and with so few, it was no doubt a group of them. Except, one was not one of them.

The Iyrmen went out to escort the figures towards the village, revealing a group of familiar faces, save for one, who Adam did not recognise.

The handsome bronze skinned Iyrman, who wore long dark hair and carried a long greatsword upon his back, also held a wild grin across his face as he reached out to shake Jurot’s forearm. “You had us rush all this way for your marriage.”

“You could have adventured,” Jurot replied, shaking his cousin’s forearm.

“How could I miss your wedding?” Amokan replied, before his eyes snapped to Adam, who had greeted his father first. “I have heard you have caused some trouble this year too.”

“What kind of trouble have I caused?”

“We passed by Liferiver.”

“Well, okay, but...” Adam shook Amokan’s forearm. “I don’t need someone as handsome as you picking on me.”

“Timojin, you will need to pick on him,” Amokan joked.

Timojin clasped Adam’s forearm, the Iyrman no longer as bald as Adam remembered, but with curly hair which fell down to his shoulders, and a thick beard which hid his lower jaw. “We have returned.”

“Welcome back,” Adam said, shaking the Iyrman’s forearm. “I’m sure you have stories to tell.”

“We do.”

Adam glanced across to the Iyrman to the side. He was wholly unfamiliar, save for his tattoo. Then his eyes fell to the other two, a woman who embraced Vonda tightly, and a heavily armoured figure who caught Adam’s eyes for a moment, before glancing away quickly.

“Looks like you two did me a favour.”

“I have heard I owe you a great debt,” Amokan said, before he spotted a tiny girl with glasses. “Inakan is as cute as you said.”

“No. She’s cuter than I said.”

Adam's right.