[1057] – Y05.057 – Noonval Festival IV

[1057] – Y05.057 – Noonval Festival IV

“Daddy makes my heart feel so warm,” the little girl said earnestly to the Lord of Earth. “I love daddy so much, but sometimes, he is always working and not playing with me, how he can do this to me?”

“Is he always working?” Stokmar asked, sipping the sour wine, recalling who Rajin was, not upon seeing him, but upon tasting the alcohol.

“Always working,” the girl replied, letting out a long sigh, running her fingers through her hair, utterly exasperated. “Daddy thinks I will forgive him because he is so handsome...” The girl blinked, rubbing her forehead, as though a worried mother. “Just this once.”

Adam could feel the heaviness within his heart lighten. Seeing his daughter so comfortable, even if it was due to someone else, brought him a joy. As long as his daughter and son felt better, it didn’t matter to him that it was because of a stranger.

“Your father is... handsome?” Stokmar asked.

“Daddy is so handsome,” Jirot replied, nodding her head sagely. “He is handsome, because he is my daddy.”

“Mummy is beautiful too...” Little Jarot added.

“So bootiful!” Jirot agreed with greater passion. “How can she be so bootiful?”

‘Should I take them both as my own?’ Stokmar thought. ‘I should destroy the Order and return to take them.’ Lord Stokmar thought of destroying the Order as if they were about to go for a stroll. Of course, Lord Stokmar was the Lord of Earth. ‘I will have to do it soon, in the next few years, otherwise they’ll die of old age before I can get my revenge.’

“Mummy,” little Jarot called, before climbing down to make his way to his mother, who stood with some effort. Jirot also peeked up at her mother, completely shirking the Lord of Earth.

“Mummy needs to... pray.”

“I can go pray too?” Jarot asked, holding his mother’s hand.

“Okay. Let’s go pray and bathe, shall we?”

“It is not bath time, mummy,” Jirot said.

“I would like to bathe,” Vonda replied. “Shall we bathe together?”

“Okay!” Jirot held her mother’s free hand.

“Don’t you want to talk to Lord Stokmar?” Adam asked.

“If they wish to leave for a week or two, it does not matter,” Stokmar replied, before noting the look from the half elf. “Days?”

“Jirot, Jarot...” Adam glanced towards his twins, who stared up at their father expectantly. Adam wasn’t sure what to say to their adorable faces. “Make sure mummy is comfortable, okay?”

“I can do it!” Jirot assured, before helping her mother away. Sonarot also followed, while Mirot remained with the Lord of Earth. She needed to remain here since her father remained, even if he was sitting in the corner talking with Rajin.

“Is that young woman their mother?” Stokmar asked.

“She is,” Adam replied. “She’s my wife, Ray Vonda.”

‘Ray?’ Stokmar thought deeply. “Of White Rose?”

“Life’s...” Adam paused. “Yes, I mean, no, it’s Life’s Rose.”

“They worship the Mother?”

“They do.”

‘Soza, wasn’t it?’ Stokmar closed their eyes, feeling the vibrations through the Iyr, of the nearby Iyrmen, that of the young woman, who was considered old within the Iyr, as well as the number of, what did the Iyr call them? Grandmasters? However, it was that presence that bothered the Lord of Earth most.

Jirot and Jarot both snapped out of it upon hearing their father’s voice. “Thank you!”

“You do not need to thank me!” Jogak sheathed the blades and strapped the belts around their waist and their thigh, allowing the children to wear the belts for that day. “You cannot play with the daggers, okay?”

“Okay...” Jirot replied back, staring up at her baba.

Jogak undid the belts. “I will give the dagger to your grandmother to watch over them, okay?”

“Okay.” The girl pouted, almost defeating Jogak, but she was quickly distracted as the Iyrman lifted the twins up, embracing them once more.

“You must thank kako too, because she paid for the daggers with the money she earned,” Jogak informed, keeping the twins close to his chest.

“Okay!”

Jogak’s eyes darted around, wondering where his fool of a daughter was. ‘How could you leave the two of them after they were...’

Lucy had seen it a few times. She had seen it when Jogak had forced them to continue to work. She had seen it when Jogak had found the blades. She had seen it when Jogak threatened the Front Iyr Elder, ready to die. Jogak, who was certainly one of the weaker Iyrmen among his peers, and was considered with a touch of foolishness, was an Iyrman too.

“They really...?” Lucy whispered.

“Yeah,” Adam replied, allowing the woman to think in her silence. “Some time next month, my Xirot or Xarot is going to be born.”

“Okay,” Lucy replied, having not heard that the named had been changed either.

Jogak eventually surrendered the twins, understanding he wasn’t the only one who had worried for them. He crossed his hands behind his back, trying to calm himself. He threw a look to Adam, before approaching the half elf, placing a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it gently, before doing the same for Vonda. He wasn’t sure what to say even after thinking on his words for the entire month, so only squeezed their shoulders.

“Lucy!” Jirot hugged her tight, while Mara held her brother.

“Jirot!” Lucy replied, holding the girl close. “Did you bully your daddy?”

“I did not! I did not!” The girl replied, huffing.

“Why not?”

Jirot blinked. “Daddy is always working, how can I bully?”

“You’re right! It’s all his fault!” Lucy held the girl close to her chest, brushing the back of her hair, as the tears slipped out.

Mara held Jarot close to her chest too, brushing along his cheek tenderly, feeling how light the boy had become. She threw a look to the side, noting Lokat, the Shaman, was around. ‘Jarot.’

“If you want, you can bully me all you want, okay?” Lucy said. “Since you’re the Demon Lord!”

“Yes!” Jirot hugged Lucy tighter.

Jogak caught his aunt’s eyes, and upon seeing her shake her head, he glanced away. He clenched his fists together. ‘You cannot deny me my rights, aunt.’

Lavgak noted how tense her husband had become, placing her own hand upon his. “Okay?”

“Okay,” the Iyrman replied, still feeling the heat of the rage within him. He rested his jaw against his fist, digging it hard against his jaw as the anger continued to radiate through him like an inferno. His eyes darted to the side to Larot, who was snoozing away so peacefully.



“Daddy is always working, how can I bully?”

This is as funny as it is sad...